CMS Announces Important ICD-10 Testing Dates

Dive Brief:

• CMS announced several ICD-10 test dates Friday, the first of which will kick off in April for a small group of providers. 
• The agency’s goals with testing, according CMS, are to ensure that providers can submit claims with ICD-10 codes to Medicare, ensure that CMS’ software changes made to support ICD-10 result in properly adjudicated claims and to ensure accurate remittance advices are produced. 
• To help with this effort, CMS is soliciting volunteer providers. To apply, providers can fill out a form available on CMS‘ Medicare Administrative Contractor’s website by Jan. 9, 2015. By January 30, the MACs and CEDI will notify the volunteers selected to test and provide them with the information needed for the testing.

Dive Insight:

Though CMS has delayed ICD-10 more than once, this time it looks like the agency is serious, with specific plans for end-to-end testing ready to launch. CMS is aiming to cull some 850 volunteer submitters to participate in the April end-to-end testing.

“This nationwide sample will yield meaningful results, since CMS intends to select volunteers representing a broad cross-section of provider, claim, and submitter types, including claims clearinghouses that submit claims for large numbers of providers,” the agency said in its announcement of the test dates. An added bonus: Testers who are participating in the January testing are able to test again in April and July without re-applying.

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