Palmer Press July 2015

Palmer Bill Prompts CMS to Create Grace Period for New Coding System

The Protecting Patients and Physicians Against Coding Act, H.R. 2652, a bill I introduced to protect patients against a new federal coding mandate, is already paying dividends. The Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) announced that it will institute a one-year transition period to ICD-10, the medical diagnostic system tied to Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. While H.R. 2652 would mandate a two-year transition period, this decision by CMS is a welcome announcement that moves the ball in the right direction. This system, which is a five-fold increase in coding, threatens to disrupt access to health care in rural areas and create major problems for smaller practices.

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