The final chance is approaching for those interested in conducting ICD-10 end-to-end testing with Medicare — July 20-24, 2015. CMS has issued updated guidance on July 2, 2015, which covers ICD-10 acknowledgement testing as well as end-to-end testing. No registration is required for acknowledgement testing and it can be done at any time with a practice’s Medicare contractor. Acknowledgment testing is used to make sure an insurer is receiving ICD-10 claims that are properly coded.
End-to-end testing on the other hand, is a more comprehensive test and aims to properly adjudicate claims and to return to the provider remittance advice. Medicare FFS direct submitters, Direct Data Entry submitters receiving an electronic remittance advice, billing agencies and claims clearinghouses, are all eligible for end-to-end testing. Interested parties can register on the website of their Medicare contractor. Fifty testers will be selected per contractor and each tester selected may submit a maximum of 50 test claims. Guidance for the end-to-end testing is available here: https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNMattersArticles/Downloads/SE1501.pdf.
This is a good opportunity for those who are far along in planning for the ICD-10 switchover. For example, practices and hospitals that are already generating ICD-10 codes may want to jump at this chance. However, the probability of being chosen is slim (there are 9 Medicare Administrative Contractors, and only 50 testers per contractor— so a whopping total of 450 possible providers in the U.S. will be selected to test. Nonetheless, we recommend taking advantage of this opportunity if you are ready. End-to-end testing can allow a practice or hospital to validate the entire claim processing pipeline and to gain confidence in the revenue cycle after the October 1st transition.
