CMS schedules dry run of 5010 electronic readiness

Published: 2011-06-03 06:33:11
Author: Emily Berry | American Medical News | May 31, 2011

Less than six months before physicians, clearinghouses and insurers must begin using new standards for electronic claims submissions, a government-designated test day will give all sides a chance to gauge their readiness for the switch.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has declared June 15 National 5010 Testing Day.

The event is meant to give all "trading partners" -- physicians, clearinghouses, payers and Medicare administrative contractors -- an opportunity to perform a coordinated dry-run claim submission well before the deadline to switch to HIPAA 5010 standards on Jan. 1, 2012.

The new standards, which require physicians to change the way they submit claims electronically, are part of the lead-up to adoption of ICD-10.

For medical offices that use a practice management system vendor to format and submit claims, the changes to their work required under the 5010 standards may be small -- even just a matter of listing a mailing address differently. But experts said it's important for physicians to verify that their vendors are ready for the switch, because incorrectly formatted claims will be rejected beginning Jan. 1, 2012.

The American Medical Association, Medical Group Management Assn. and dozens of others in organized medicine wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Oct. 28, 2010, encouraging the government to institute a "national testing period" for the new standards.

Full story