Updates on Opposing the Switch to ICD-10-CM

The American Medical Association sent a letter (warning: PDF) on February 2nd to Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, requesting a halt to the switch.  An excerpt from the letter:

In the wake of [an] onslaught of overlapping regulatory mandates and reporting requirements, HHS
has an opportunity to ease the burdens on physician practices by halting the implementation of
ICD-10 and calling on appropriate stakeholders, including physicians, hospitals, payers to assess an
appropriate replacement for ICD-9 within a reasonable timeframe.

In the meantime, the American Health Information Management Association, which lobbied heavily for the switch, urged healthcare providers (including physicians) to keep working (warning: PDF) towards the switch.  They do not expect Congress or the Executive Branch to act to halt the switch.  For sure, we expect them to lobby against any such efforts.

Finally, noted healthcare CIO John Halamka is on record as saying that the switch will have no net financial benefit to the United States heatlhcare sector, public or private (or combined).  He has even lobbied his personal contacts within the federal government to reconsider the switch to ICD-10-CM.  We applaud this stance and his efforts!