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. ROG-
ERS 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. DUN-
CAN of South Carolina, Mr. BLUM, Mr. STUTZMAN, Mr. RICE of South 
Carolina, Mr. BYRNE, Mr. LOUDERMILK, Mr. BARTON, and Mr. BOU-
STANY) 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 juris-
diction 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Patients 
and Physicians Against Coding Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. 2-YEAR GRACE PERIOD IN TRANSITIONING FROM 
THE USE OF ICD–9 TO ICD–10. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out regulations pro-
viding for the replacement of ICD–9 with ICD–10 as a 
standard for code sets under section 1173(c) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320d–2(c)) and section 
162.1002 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services shall provide for 
a 2-year grace period during which physicians and other 
health care providers submitting claims and other docu-
ments using ICD–10 are not penalized for errors, mis-
takes, and malfunctions relating to the transition to such 
code set. 
(b) ASSISTANCE.—During the 2-year grace period de-
scribed in subsection (a), the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall take affirmative steps to assist phy-
sicians and other health care providers who are subject 
to the requirement to use ICD–10 as a standard for code 
sets in identifying appropriate ICD–10 subcodes. 
(c) GAO STUDY AND REPORT.— 
(1) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the 
United States shall conduct a study on— 
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(A) the extent to which the transition to 
ICD–10 code sets has affected— 
(i) physicians and other health care 
providers in general; and 
(ii) physicians and other health care 
providers in rural areas; and 
(B) the effectiveness of programs con-
ducted by the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services that are designed to support physicians 
and other health care providers referred to in 
clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (A). 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than April 1, 2016, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall sub-
mit to Congress a report on the study conducted 
under paragraph (1), together with recommenda-
tions for such legislation and administrative action 
as the Comptroller General determines to be appro-
priate. 
Æ 
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