Congress appears poised to let the ICD-10 code set take effect Oct. 1, but at least two new bills would require CMS to enact a grace period for providers on or after the effective date.
 
A bill introduced June 4 by Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., would allow a two-year “grace period” for providers transitioning to ICD-10. While H.R. 2652 (Protecting Patients and Physicians Against Coding Act of 2015) has gained numerous co-sponsors since its introduction, there has been no other action on the bill since it was referred to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means the day it was introduced.
 
Meanwhile, a separate bill, H.R. 2247 (ICD-TEN Act) introduced May 12 by Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., would allow providers an 18-month grace period around for the ICD-10 transition. That bill, which has seven cosponsors, also has not advanced since its assignment to the House committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means the day it was introduced.
 
A bill to prohibit the transition from the ICD-9 to ICD-10 code set, H.R. 2126 (Cutting Costly Codes Act of 2015) has not moved from committee since its introduction April 30.
 
The AMA House of Delegates also is backing the grace-period idea. The group passed a resolution June 8 to push for a two-year ICD-10 grace period.
 
During that time, the AMA resolution directs that CMS should not deny physician claims because of coding errors. The resolution was introduced by Alabama urologist Jeff Terry M.D.
 
“The bottom line is that ICD-10 will increase the number of codes for diagnosis by 400%, which will significantly impact the time physicians want and need to provide the best care for their patients,” AMA Board of Trustees member Russell W.H. Kridel, M.D. stated in an association release.
 
The AMA group declined to debate a separate proposal that would have called for a boycott of ICD-10 codes starting Oct. 1.
 
Separate from the legislation, members of Congress sent CMS a letter on June 1 requesting that the agency make public its contingency plan in the event it is unable to process ICD-10 codes on Oct. 1. The letter, from Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, chairman of the House Ways and Means subcommittee on health, also asked whether ICD-10 codes with the highest level of specificity would be required on Oct. 1 and how the codes would be applied to quality reporting and fraud and abuse efforts.
 
Related links: View HR 2652, HR 2247 and the Brady letter.