On Thursday, July 31, 2014, the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) finalized the rule that establishes October 1, 2015 as the new implementation date for the healthcare industry’s transition to the ICD-10 diagnosis and procedure coding system.  Citing the potential costs along with other factors, the agency determined and ultimately decided that a one year delay was the most reasonable for all stakeholders affected.  Click here to read the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) news release and here to view the actual rule as published in the Federal Register.