ICD-10 debate rages on

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) has responded to calls for more thorough ICD-10 testing, announcing that it will conduct end-to-end testing to a small sample group of providers this summer.

This is a far cry from the American Medical Association’s calls for further delays in the implementation date but it should appease somewhat the many organizations that are concerned about testing.

The 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 still is offering ICD-10 acknowledgement testing next month and says it is exploring other weeks for more testing.

A group of Republican senators sent a letter to CMS warning that inadequate testing of ICD-10 code sets could result in "system-wide errors and delay[s]" similar to those that hampered the launch of HealthCare.gov.

The group, in their letter, asked CMS Administrator Marilynn Tavenner to answer several questions by Feb. 26, including how will CMS measure the success of the testing period; will CMS allow providers to try claim adjudication to ensure claims can be submitted and paid properly under the new system; and has CMS scheduled any internal or third-party testing before the system is fully implemented.

I think we’re in for a bumpy ride until Oct. 1 and beyond that, who knows?

Beth Walsh

Clinical Innovation + Technology editor