Policy & Practice

ICD-10 Fraud Concerns

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and the Medical Group Management Association are among those objecting to the planned implementation of ICD-10, the newest version of the comprehensive list of diagnostic billing codes used by health care providers. A bill currently being considered in the House would require payers to switch from the current ICD-9 codes to ICD-10 by Oct. 1, 2009. Blue Cross/Blue Shield argued in a statement that the deadline should be pushed back to 2012 "because much has to be done before a switch to ICD-10 can be started … and providers need time to automate their offices and be trained." The Blues are particularly concerned because the switch comes at the same time that Medicare is shrinking the number of its claims processors—many of which are Blues plans—from 50 to 15.