Very interesting vote tomorrow........
CONGRESS TO VOTE ON ICD-10 DELAY TOMORROW, YOUR ACTION NEEDED TODAY TO
STOP BILL
A new bill has been quietly introduced into the US House and
Senate that features a section calling for the delay of ICD-10-CM/PCS
implementation until 2015. This bill is expected to go to the House floor
tomorrow, Thursday, March 27 for a vote.
The bill, which would adjust the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR)
and amend the Social Security Act to extend Medicare payments to physicians and
change other provisions of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, also includes a
seven line section that would delay ICD-10 to October 1, 2015.
This bill was negotiated at the leadership level in the House
and Senate, and it is expected that there will be no debate before calling the
bill to vote.
Call Congress Now to Request Removal of Delay Provision
Again, this bill is expected to go to the House floor tomorrow
for a vote. AHIMA urges members and other stakeholders to contact their
representatives in Congress today and ask them to take the ICD-10 provision out
of the SGR bill.
Go to our website now and use your zip code to look up phone
numbers for your representatives and senators in Congress. http://capwiz.com/ahima/callalert/index.tt?alertid=63161891
Phone Script Available Below for Use in Contacting Your
Legislator:
"Hello Representative XX/Senator XX, my name is XXX and I
am a concerned member in your district, as well as a healthcare professional. I
am calling to voice my opposition to the language in the SGR patch that would delay
ICD-10 implementation until October, 2015. CMS estimates that a 1 year delay
could cost between $1 billion to $6.6 billion. This is approximately 10-30% of
what has already been invested by providers, payers, vendors and academic
programs in your district. Without ICD-10, the return on investment in EHRs and
health data exchange will be greatly diminished. I urge you, Representative XX/
Senator XX to oppose the ICD-10 delay and let Speaker Boehner and Senate
Majority Leader Reid know that a delay in ICD-10 will substantially increase
total implementation costs in your district as well as delay the positive
impact for patient care."
Get more details at the Journal of AHIMA website.
http://journal.ahima.org/2014/03/26/congress-voting-tomorrow-on-icd-10-delay-ahima-calls-on-members-to-take-action/
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