I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2652 

To provide a 2-year grace period for physicians and other health care 

providers in transitioning from the use of ICD–9 to ICD–10. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 4, 2015 

Mr. PALMER (for himself, Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia, Mr. BABIN, Mr. ROGERS of Alabama, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. WESTERMAN, Mr. SALMON, Mr. 

BUCK, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. BROOKS of Alabama, Mrs. LOVE, 

Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. SANFORD, Mr. LAMBORN, Mrs. HARTZLER, Mr. 

GRIFFITH, Mr. RATCLIFFE, Mr. ZINKE, Mrs. LUMMIS, Mr. 

BRIDENSTINE, Mr. WALKER, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. BISHOP of 

Michigan, Mr. CARTER of Georgia, Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER, Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina, Mr. BLUM, Mr. STUTZMAN, Mr. RICE of South 

Carolina, Mr. BYRNE, Mr. LOUDERMILK, Mr. BARTON, and Mr. BOUSTANY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways 

and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To provide a 2-year grace period for physicians and other 

health care providers in transitioning from the use of 

ICD–9 to ICD–10. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Patients 

3 and Physicians Against Coding Act of 2015’’. 

4 SEC. 2. 2-YEAR GRACE PERIOD IN TRANSITIONING FROM 

5 THE USE OF ICD–9 TO ICD–10. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out regulations pro7 viding for the replacement of ICD–9 with ICD–10 as a 

8 standard for code sets under section 1173(c) of the Social 

9 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320d–2(c)) and section 

10 162.1002 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, the 

11 Secretary of Health and Human Services shall provide for 

12 a 2-year grace period during which physicians and other 

13 health care providers submitting claims and other docu14 ments using ICD–10 are not penalized for errors, mis15 takes, and malfunctions relating to the transition to such 

16 code set. 

17 (b) ASSISTANCE.—During the 2-year grace period de18 scribed in subsection (a), the Secretary of Health and 

19 Human Services shall take affirmative steps to assist phy20 sicians and other health care providers who are subject 

21 to the requirement to use ICD–10 as a standard for code 

22 sets in identifying appropriate ICD–10 subcodes. 

23 (c) GAO STUDY AND REPORT.— 

24 (1) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the 

25 United States shall conduct a study on— 


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1 (A) the extent to which the transition to 

2 ICD–10 code sets has affected— 

3 (i) physicians and other health care 

4 providers in general; and 

5 (ii) physicians and other health care 

6 providers in rural areas; and 

7 (B) the effectiveness of programs con8 ducted by the Secretary of Health and Human 

9 Services that are designed to support physicians 

10 and other health care providers referred to in 

11 clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (A). 

12 (2) REPORT.—Not later than April 1, 2016, the 

13 Comptroller General of the United States shall sub14 mit to Congress a report on the study conducted 

15 under paragraph (1), together with recommenda16 tions for such legislation and administrative action 

17 as the Comptroller General determines to be appro18 priate. 

Æ 


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