Congress Postpones ICD-10 to October 2015

All it took was one sentence, but Congress  approved postponing implementation of ICD-10 another year to Oct. 1, 2015.

The delay was slipped in to a bill temporarily fixing the sustainable growth rate (SGR) cuts that have, on paper, gone into effect today. If President Barack Obama signs the bill, a scheduled 24 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements to physicians that is to start April 1 will disappear.

Congress threw in another bonus to healthcare providers, specifically hospitals, by ordering the director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to extend the ban on Recovery Audit Contractors (RAC) audits on claims filed under the “two-midnight rule” another six months to April 1, 2015. RACs currently are prohibited from auditing inpatient claims under the two-midnight rule from Oct. 1, 2013 to Oct. 1, 2014.