Texas, Fla., N.Y. and Calif. Medical Assns. Push for Grace Period on ICD Implementation

Four state medical associations are urging Congress to enact a two-year grace period in the conversion to ICD-10, claiming that the changes to the previous codes are too drastic and result in harsh penalties.  The federal government is requiring medical bills to be converted to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Edition, as of Oct. 1, after delaying the transition to the updated codes twice. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services delayed implementation that had previously been slated for 2012 and 2013. But medical associati...