The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on March 27 that would delay the ICD-10 implementation deadline by one year to October 1, 2015. A similar bill in the Senate is expected to be voted on soon. The bill, H.R. 4302, Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, also adjusts Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula to prevent the 24 percent cut to physician reimbursement rates scheduled to begin April 1. Medicare payment cuts to physicians would be delayed until April 1, 2015.

Opposition to the bill focuses on the need for a permanent replacement of the Medicare physician payment system instead of the proposed one year “patch” currently being considered. Opponents of the ICD-10 implementation provision claim that the delay could cost the industry billions of dollars. Others support the measure noting that providers are not prepared for the October 1, 2014 implementation.

Written by: Traci Thompson