Which of the following is NOT a reason the United States did not implement ICD-10 at the same time as other countries?

The reason that the United States did not implement ICD-10 at the same time as other countries pertains to the decision-making process regarding coding standards, specifically the choice between utilizing the ICD-10 system or continuing with the CPT coding system. The CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) system is primarily used for coding procedures and services provided by healthcare professionals, which led to some confusion and debate among policymakers regarding which system would be more appropriate for diagnosing purposes.

While countries that adopted ICD-10 focused on transitioning their diagnostic coding to a unified system, the U.S. grappled with the implications of using both coding systems simultaneously, leading to delays. In contrast, the other factors—budget constraints, training concerns, and technological limitations—were significant challenges, but they were not the primary reason for the delay in decision-making compared to the debate over ICD versus CPT and how these systems would coexist.

Understanding this context highlights why the specific choice of coding system was pivotal in the U.S. delayed implementation of ICD-10 relative to other countries that had effectively adopted the system for their healthcare coding needs.