Another opportunity for ICD-10 acknowledgement testing

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering acknowledgement testing next week (March 2-6) to help physicians prepare for the transition to ICD-10 this fall.

Registration is not required, and any provider who submits claims electronically can participate. Participants, which include Medicare claims clearinghouses, will have access to real-time help desk support through their Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) and the Durable Medical Equipment MAC Common Electronic Data Interchange (CEDI) contractor. CMS will be also analyze the testing data. Information on how to participate is available on local MAC websites or through a clearinghouse, if the practice uses a clearinghouse to submit Medicare claims.

Here’s what physicians can expect during testing:
•    Test claims will receive the 277CA or 999 acknowledgement, as appropriate, to confirm that the claim was accepted or rejected in the system.
•    Test claims will be subject to all current front-end edits, including edits for valid National Provider Identifiers (NPIs), Provider Transaction Access Numbers (PTANs), and codes, including Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) and place of service.
•    Testing will not confirm claim payment or produce a Remittance Advice.
•    MACs and CEDI will be staffed to handle increased call volume during this week.

CMS offers the following testing tips:
•    Make sure test files have the "T" in the ISA15 field to indicate the file is a test.
•    Send ICD-10 coded test claims that closely resemble the claims that the practice currently submits.
•    Use valid submitter identification, NPI, and PTAN combinations.
•    Use current dates of service on test claims (i.e., Oct. 1, 2014 through Mar. 1, 2015); do not use future dates of service or the claim will be rejected.
•    Use ICD-10 companion qualifier codes when submitting ICD-10 diagnosis codes.

If a physician is not prepared to do ICD-10 acknowledgement testing next week, CMS is planning another dedicated test June 1-5. In the meantime, practices can do acknowledgement testing on their own anytime up to the Oct. 1 implementation date.

For more information, check out the following Medicare Learning Network (MLN) articles:
•    “FAQs – International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition (ICD-10) Acknowledgement Testing and End-to-End Testing"
•    “ICD-10 Testing - Acknowledgement Testing with Providers”
•    “Medicare FFS ICD-10 Testing Approach”

– Kent Moore, Senior Strategist for Physician Payment for the American Academy of Family Physicians