Dive Brief:

• CMS has pushed the deadline for providers to apply for ICD-10 end-to-end testing to Jan. 21.
• Organizations that participate are required to submit future-dated claims and offer National Provider Identifiers, Provider Transaction Access Numbers and beneficiary Health Insurance Claim Numbers that will be used for test claims. Volunteer forms are available on Medicare Administrative Contractor sites.
• CMS said it will pick participants by Feb. 13. 

Dive Insight:

With two delays and counting, CMS is doing providers another favor by pushing back ICD-10 end-to-end testing. Or, there aren't loads of provider organizations trying to volunteer so the agency had no choice but to be a bit lenient. Fortunately, CMS says it will use testing takeaways in ICD-10 educational materials—a good thing, because healthcare providers can use all the help they can get trying to translate tried-and-true ICD-9 codes dozens of ways.