The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held two
days of hearings in an effort to find a permanent solution to the flawed
Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. At the hearings scheduled (Jan. 21 and 22), lawmakers discussed
“how to bring SGR reform to the president’s desk before the current
patch expires at the end of March 2015,” according to an announcement by
the subcommittee. Is it possible that this year’s congressional SGR
fix could include a further ICD-10 delay?
Last year, the House and Senate passed legislation—the Protecting Access to Medicare Act—that included a provision to delay the ICD-10 deadline by one year to Oct. 1, 2015. President Obama signed the so-called “doc fix bill” into law delaying ICD-10 implementation to this October as well as delaying Medicare payment cuts to physicians until April 1, 2015.
With the start of the new 114th Congress and as the SGR deadline looms, ICD-10 could again be on the legislative agenda. But nothing has emerged yet from the proceedings of the hearings and that could be a sign that NO delays are in talks for now.
Regardless of any changes, preparations need to continue. Why? because good documentation is ICD neutral.
Last year, the House and Senate passed legislation—the Protecting Access to Medicare Act—that included a provision to delay the ICD-10 deadline by one year to Oct. 1, 2015. President Obama signed the so-called “doc fix bill” into law delaying ICD-10 implementation to this October as well as delaying Medicare payment cuts to physicians until April 1, 2015.
With the start of the new 114th Congress and as the SGR deadline looms, ICD-10 could again be on the legislative agenda. But nothing has emerged yet from the proceedings of the hearings and that could be a sign that NO delays are in talks for now.
Regardless of any changes, preparations need to continue. Why? because good documentation is ICD neutral.
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