Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Pete Sessions (R-Texas) released a joint statement on Wednesday in response to ICD-10, a new coding system to be used by health care providers for reimbursement and other matters.
Upton is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which worked closely with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure smooth implementation.
“As we look ahead to the implementation date of ICD-10 on Oct. 1, 2015, we will continue our close communication with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to ensure that the deadline can successfully be met by stakeholders,” Upton and Sessions, chairman of the House Rules Committee, said in the statement.
Hearings regarding the new system’s implementation are expected to be held in the coming year.
“Following the most recent delay of ICD-10, we heard from a number of interested parties concerned about falling behind or halting progress,” Upton and Sessions said. “We would like to acknowledge and thank these organizations and individuals for opening up this dialogue and expressing their thoughts and concerns regarding this issue. It is our priority to ensure that we continue to move forward in health care technology, and do so in a way that addresses the concerns of all those affected and ensure that the system works.”