Dive Brief:
- In parallel with its announcement finalizing October 1, 2015 as the new ICD-10 deadline, CMS has released an outline of a comprehensive approach intended to help providers prepare for the switchover.
- The plan includes internal testing of CMS' claims processing systems, beta testing tools initiated by providers, acknowledgment testing and end-to-end testing.
- For the end-to-end initiative, CMS says that about 2,550 volunteer providers will have three opportunities for testing.
Dive Insight:
CMS says it has three goals for testing. It wants to make sure the providers can successfully submit claims using ICD-10 codes with the Medicare fee-for-service claims systems; show that CMS software changes supporting ICD-10 can generate correctly adjudicated claims; and show that the systems can produce accurate remittance advice. If the agency can demonstrate these functionalities, providers should feel a lot more confident that the program will go forward successfully.
However, despite the extensions in the ICD-10 deadline and efforts to make sure that providers know they'll be paid, trade groups for doctors remain skeptical. The AMA continues to consider ICD-10 to be a "massive underfunded mandate" which is compounded by coming at a time when doctors are trying to meet several other tech requirements, says AMA President-elect Steven Stack. And the MGMA's senior policy advisor Robert Tennant says members remain concerned that cash flow could be affected once ICD-10 kicks in.