ICD-10 bill surfaces, calls for delay, more study of rollout disruptions

Image of Rep. Ted Poe from Wikipedia.

Text of a bill by Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, to delay the switch to ICD-10 diagnostic coding surfaced on Monday, in which it requests further study on the disruption on healthcare providers could face resulting from the replacement of ICD-9.

The three-page bill, H.R. 2126, was proposed on April 30 but the text was not posted for over a week.

The bill would prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from replacing ICD-9 with ICD-10 on Oct. 1, as is scheduled. It has been referred to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means, with no guarantee that it will be heard by either committee.

It asks for a study by the Comptroller General of the United States, in consultation with stakeholders in the medical community, to conduct a study to identify steps that can be taken to mitigate the disruption ICD-10 would have on healthcare providers.

[Also: ICD-10 advocates blast bill to block switch]

The bill stipulates that not later than six months after the date of enactment, the Comptroller General submit to each House of Congress a report on the study and include recommendations for legislative and administrative steps appropriate to mitigate the disruption.

“This Act may be cited as the ‘Cutting Costly Codes Act of 2015,’” according to the bill’s text.

Previous delays have held up implementation of ICD-10, but most healthcare providers support implementation.

The American Medical Association, however, backs an ICD-10 delay, calling the switch a burden to physicians that takes away from their focus on care. It is also costly to implement, and that will result in lost reimbursement as ICD-10 adds thousands of billing codes, the AMA said.

The bill has six co-sponsors: Blake Farenthold, R-Texas; Mike Rogers, R-Alabama; Mo Brooks, R- Alabama; Morgan Griffith, R-Virginia; Tom Price, R-Georgia; and David Roe, R-Tennessee.

Twitter: @SusanMorseHFN