CMS to conduct end-to-end ICD-10 testing this summer

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) announced that it will conduct end-to-end ICD-10 testing to a small sample group of providers this summer.

The announcement comes shortly after several Republican Senators sent a letter to CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner warning that inadequate testing of ICD-10 code sets could result in system-wide errors and delays.

According to the Feb. 19 CMS document, full end-to-end testing will include the submission of test claims to CMS with ICD-10 codes and the provider’s receipt of a Remittance Advice (RA) that explains the adjudication of the claims. The agency said that the goals of this testing are to show the following:

• Providers or submitters are able to successfully submit claims containing ICD-10 codes to the Medicare Fee-For-Service claims systems;
• CMS software changes made to support ICD-10 result in appropriately adjudicated claims; and
• Accurate RAs are produced.

CMS said more details on this round of full end-to-end testing are forthcoming.

The agency still is offering ICD-10 acknowledgement testing from March 4-7, which will allow providers, billing companies and clearinghouses to determine whether CMS will be able to accept their claims with ICD-10 codes. While these claims will not be adjudicated, Medicare administrative contractors will confirm whether the claims were accepted or rejected.

The agency said it is exploring other weeks of acknowledgement testing after it analyzes the results of the March testing week.