The House has passed a bill that would delay the implementation of ICD-10 by one year, in addition to shielding physicians from steep pay cuts under Medicare's sustainable growth rate, according to a report from The Hill.
The bill — which House lawmakers approved by voice vote — would delay the implementation of ICD-10 to Oct. 1, 2015. Earlier this week, the American Health Information Management Association called on its members to contact members of Congress and voice opposition to the bill. CMS has estimated a one-year delay of ICD-10 could cost between $1 billion and $6.6 billion, according to AHIMA.
The bill would also shield physicians until the end of March 2015 from a 24 percent pay cut currently due to take effect April 1 under the SGR. The patch would be the latest in a series of short-term legislative solutions Congress has enacted every year since 2003 to stave off double-digit Medicare pay cuts for physicians under the SGR. The American Medical Association has expressed opposition to the bill, pushing for a permanent SGR solution rather than another temporary fix.
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