CMS opens ICD-10 end-to-end testing to volunteers September 22, 2014 Medicare CMS, ICD-10, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 0 At the beginning of 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will begin limited Medicare end–to–end testing of ICD-10 billing code submissions to ensure claims with the new codes can be processed from submission to remittance. Earlier this year, Congress pushed back the ICD-10 implementation date a year to October 1, 2015. CMS is looking for volunteers to participate in the testing the week of January 26-30, 2015. From the volunteers, CMS will select a sample of 50 participants for each Medicare Administrative Contractor to represent a broad cross-section of provider types, claims types and submitter types. The deadline to submit your application to participate in this testing is October 3, 2014. Those selected to participate will be notified by October 24, 2014, and will be provided specific details regarding how to test and who to contact for testing support. CMS requests that physicians interested in participating in end-to-end testing already have updated ICD-10 software in place and internal testing completed prior to the January testing dates. The intent of testing is to ensure that systems and workflow processes that have been updated for ICD-10 are functioning correctly. The testing will include the full claims process, from submission of test claims with ICD-10 codes to CMS to the physician’s receipt of remittance advice that explains the adjudication of each claim. Billing experts advise physicians to start preparing for the ICD-10 transition now if they haven’t yet done so. Steps to take include upgrading software systems, testing those updated systems, training staff and updating payer contracts and fee schedules. AMA offers free educational resources that can help physicians get started. The California Medical Association has also partnered with AAPC to provide various ICD-10 training courses to members at a discounted rate. For more information, visit www.cmanet.org/aapc. To volunteer for the testing, register here. Contact: Michele Kelly, (213) 226-0338 or mkelly@cmanet.org. Comments are closed.
