ICD-10 testing continues to go smoothly.

As the healthcare industry settles into the idea that ICD-10 is really going to happen this year, many providers have turned to systems testing to ensure their readiness to submit claims.   We have written about testing before and why it’s such an important part of ICD-10 readiness. Here are some newly released results:

CMS has provided many options for providers to test their claims submission process, including multiple opportunities for acknowledgement testing. The most recent acknowledgement testing period was conducted in early March, and was definitely a success.   During the testing period, 775 submitters submitted almost 9,000 claims, of which nearly 92% were accepted. Normally, fee for service (FFS) Medicare claims acceptance rates average 95-98 percent. No Medicare FFS claims systems issues were identified during the test week.

Just as in previous acknowledgement testing weeks, CMS found that most rejected claims were the result of improperly developed test claims, and unrelated to ICD-10. The most common issues were invalid National Provider Identifiers (NPIs), Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes, and postal ZIP codes.    Some claims were rejected for future dating, which is not permitted in testing, but will not be a factor after implementation on October 1, 2015.

Healthcare providers will have additional opportunities to test in the future.  Another acknowledgement testing week is scheduled in June, although providers can test with their Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) at any time. There is also an additional opportunity for full end-to-end testing. The final end-to-end testing week is in July;  note that the deadline for volunteering is April 17. See here for more details about volunteering for this critical testing.

As a provider, you should interpret these latest test results as more confirmation that the transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 is happening on October 1, 2015. If you haven’t begun testing yet, you need to do so quickly to ensure your readiness.

If you’d like to talk to one of our experts about help with your ICD-10 testing, contact us.