Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

After Sept. 30, 2015, ICD-9 codes will no longer be accepted.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized the date for ICD-10 implementation as Oct. 1, 2015. The date has already been pushed back several times; so many providers believe they are already prepared for the transition. Make sure you continue to stay on top of ICD-10 changes and updates as the 2015 date gets closer.

Don’t miss: Watch for opportunities to participate in ICD-10 testing opportunities to ensure that your practice is compliant and prepared.

All of the Part B MAC claims processing systems are currently ready for ICD-10, CMS says in MLN Matters article SE1409. In addition, CMS tests its ICD-10 software every time a quarterly release is issued. On the provider side, CMS will offer three separate testing weeks for ICD-10 acknowledgement. These will take place in November 2014, March 2015, and June 2015. If you’d like to participate in the testing, visit your MAC’s website for instructions. CMS will also offer end-to-end testing opportunities to select practices, but has not yet announced the dates or how to volunteer.

CMS Offers Alternative for Unprepared

On the off-chance that your practice’s software isn’t ready to convert to ICD-10 next October, CMS has a potential solution for you. “If you will not be able to complete the necessary systems changes to submit claims with ICD-10 codes by October 1, 2015, you should investigate downloading the free billing software that CMS offers via their MAC websites,” CMS says in its MLN Matters article. “The software has been updated to support ICD-10 codes and requires an internet connection. This billing software only works for submitting FFS claims to Medicare. It is intended to provide submitters with an ICD-10 compliant claims submission format; it does not provide coding assistance,” CMS adds.

Resource: To read MLN Matters article SE1409, visit www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNMattersArticles/Downloads/SE1409.pdf.