Recently, CMS announced it will not initiate enforcement action against any HIPAA-covered entity for an additional three months, through Sat June 30, for the updated HIPAA transaction standards (ASC X12 Version 5010, NCPDP Versions D.0 and 3.0). Although much progress has been made in the successful receipt and processing of claims in the Version 5010 format, CMS is aware that there are still challenges and issues impeding an industry-wide upgrade.
During these additional 90 days during which CMS will not initiate enforcement penalties, you should collaborate more closely with trading partners on appropriate strategies to resolve any remaining problems. Two steps providers can take to ensure a smooth upgrade include: * Establish a line of credit: To avoid potential cash flow disruptions, providers should consider establishing or increasing a line of credit. By doing so, they can prepare for possible delays and denials in payer claims reimbursements if noncompliant Version 5010 transactions are submitted. * Check partner readiness: Because a provider's Version 5010 upgrade can be dependent upon his or her vendor, it is important for providers to be aware of their vendor's transition status. If your vendor is behind schedule for Version 5010 adoption, get confirmation of their timeline to be compliant, and encourage them to take action so that your system will be prepared to handle your claims. Other steps to prepare for the Version 5010 upgrade can be found in the "Version 5010: Ensuring a Smooth Transition<https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/ICD10/downloads/SmoothTransition.pdf>" factsheet, which provides an overview of several actions providers can take to maintain continuity of operations for their practices as they prepare to complete Version 5010 testing. Keep Up to Date on Version 5010 and ICD-10. Please visit the ICD-10 website<https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/ICD10/index.html> for the latest news and resources to help you prepare, and to download and share the implementation widget<http://www.browserspring.com/widgets/cms2/iframe.html> today! ________________________________ CMS.gov Website Upgrade: Please take note that CMS is in the process of making upgrades to the www.CMS.gov<http://www.CMS.gov> website. If you encounter problems accessing information while on the site, please refresh the page or check back later. We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience. ________________________________ It's Not too Late to Give and Get the Flu Vaccine. Take advantage of each office visit and protect your patients against the seasonal flu. Medicare will continue to pay for the seasonal flu vaccine and its administration for all Medicare beneficiaries through the entire flu season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that patients, healthcare workers and caregivers be vaccinated against the seasonal flu. Protect your patients. Protect your family. Protect yourself. Get the Flu Vaccine-Not the Flu. Remember - The flu vaccine plus its administration are covered Part B benefits. CMS has posted the 2011-2012 seasonal flu vaccine payment limits at http://www.CMS.gov/McrPartBDrugAvgSalesPrice/10_VaccinesPricing.asp. Note that the flu vaccine is NOT a Part D-covered drug. For more information on coverage and billing of the flu vaccine and its administration, as well as related educational provider resources, visit http://www.CMS.gov/MLNProducts/35_PreventiveServices.asp and http://www.cms.gov/immunizations. ________________________________ Note: If you have problems accessing any hyperlink in this message, please copy and paste the URL into your Internet browser. If you know someone who would like to subscribe to a Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) provider listserv, go to (http://www.cms.gov/prospmedicarefeesvcpmtgen/downloads/Provider_Listservs.pdf). If you would like to unsubscribe from a specific provider listserv, please go to (https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?INDEX) to unsubscribe or to leave the appropriate listserv. Please DO NOT respond to this email. This email is a service of CMS and routed through an electronic mail server to communicate Medicare policy and operational changes and/or updates. Responses to this email are not routed to CMS personnel. Inquiries may be sent by going to (http://www.cms.gov/ContactCMS). Thank you.
