CMS Issues Deadlines for Providers Compliance with Version 5010 Standards

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a reminder to healthcare providers, health plans, clearinghouses, and vendors about the approaching compliance dates for a new generation of diagnosis and procedure codes and updated standards for electronic healthcare transactions.

Beginning in January 2011, entities covered under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) should be ready to test with their trading partners the functionality of the entities’ practice management and/or other related software featuring Version 5010 standards. Use of the Version 5010 standards for HIPAA electronic healthcare transactions—including claims, remittance advice, eligibility inquiries, and referral authorizations—will be mandatory on Jan. 1, 2012. The Version 5010 standards also provide the framework needed to use the revised medical data code sets (ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS) that must be implemented on Oct. 1, 2013.

A fact sheet describing the two regulations governing the ICD-10 code set and Version 5010 electronic transaction standards is available on the CMS website.