Bill aims to prevent switch to ICD-10
It's not over yet folks--a bill has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would prohibit the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services from replacing ICD-9 with ICD-10.
According to Rep. Ted Poe (R-Tex.), sponsor of H.R. 2126, the Cutting Costly Codes Act of 2015, ICD-10 is a “burdensome bureaucratic system” and the transition is having a significant financial impact on physician practices. He cited studies that estimated a range of $56,000 to $8 million in costs.
“The new ICD-10 codes will not make one patient healthier,” said Poe in a release. “What it will do is put an unnecessary strain on the medical community who should be focused on treating patients, not implementing a whole new bureaucratic language. Instead of hiring one more doctor or nurse to help patients, medical practices are having to spend tens of thousands just to hire a specialist who understands the new codes. Big government must get out of the way and let doctors do what they were trained to do—help people.”
The bill is supported by the Texas Medical Society and co-sponsored by Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Tex.), Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), Rep. David Roe (R-Tenn.), and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.). It has been referred to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.