CMS announces ICD-10 testing for providers

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will conduct required ICD-10 testing with providers the week of March 3 through March 7, 2014. As members know, all health care providers, including doctors of optometry, must use ICD-10 codes on their claims beginning October 1, 2014.

The ICD-10 testing week has been created to generate awareness and interest and to instill confidence in the provider community that CMS and the MACs are ready and prepared for the ICD-10 implementation. This testing week will give trading partners access to the MACs and CEDI for testing with real-time help desk support. The event will be conducted virtually and will be posted on each MAC's and the CEDI website as well as the CMS website.

Information About the Testing Week: Make sure that your billing staff is aware of these upcoming testing periods for ICD-10.

• Your MAC (Noridian in California) will announce and actively promote the testing week via listserv messages and will post the testing week announcement on their website.
• Noridian will host a registration site for the testing week, or provide an email address for the trading partners to provide registration information. The registration site or email address information will be available and publicized to trading partners at least four weeks prior to the testing week.
• During the testing week, EDI help desk support will be available, at a minimum, from 9 am to 4 pm PST, with enough support to handle any increased call volume.
• Providers and suppliers participating during the testing week will receive electronic acknowledgement confirming that the submitted test claims were accepted or rejected.
• On or before March 18, 2014, your contractor will report the following to CMS:
  • Number of trading partners conducting testing during the testing week.
  • Percent of trading partners that conducted testing during the testing week (versus number of trading partners supported) by contract.
  • Percent of test claims accepted versus rejected.
  • Report of any significant issues found during testing.

Return to February