EHR, Coding Compliance Deadlines Loom

"We have many information resources and outreach activities in place to facilitate compliance with both Version 5010 and ICD-10, and we are proactively working with partner organizations to ease the transition," says Marilyn Tavenner, CMS principal deputy administrator, "Beginning January 2011, the Medicare Fee for Service program will be ready to test Version 5010 transaction standards with its external partners, and we anticipate that other industry segments will be poised to follow suit."

Also facing a Jan. 1, 2012 installation deadline is the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs Version D.0 standard for retail pharmacy transactions, and NCPDP Version 3.0, the standard for the Medicaid pharmacy subrogation transaction. Small health plans have an additional year and must be compliant with Version 3.0 on Jan. 1, 2013.

To help healthcare providers, health plans, clearinghouses, and vendors work toward the compliance dates for Version 5010 and ICD-10—and avoid delays in claims processing and payment—CMS has been conducting ongoing industry outreach and education, and, most notably, has revised its ICD-10 Web site.
"We have refocused our efforts on making available a full range of resources, including fact sheets, timelines, videos and other materials, at our ICD-10 Web site," says Tony Trenkle, Director of CMS' Office of E-Health Standards and Services.
"All of the information is free and can be downloaded. We have also worked closely with our industry and stakeholder partners to push out important messages through their respective communications vehicles, and we have identified their Version 5010/ICD-10 materials and provided links to their publically accessible Web sites."