Results from November ICD-10 Acknowledgement Testing Week
CMS conducted another successful acknowledgement testing week last month. Acknowledgement testing gives providers and others the opportunity to submit claims with ICD-10 codes to the Medicare Fee-For-service (FFS) claims systems and receive electronic acknowledgements confirming that their claims were accepted. While providers are welcome to submit acknowledgement test claims anytime, during the November testing week, testers submitted almost 13,700 claims.
More than 500 providers, suppliers, billing companies, and clearinghouses participated in the testing week last month. Testers included small and large physician practices, small and large hospitals, labs, ambulatory surgical centers, dialysis facilities, home health providers, ambulance providers, and several other physician specialties. Acceptance rates improved throughout the week with Friday’s acceptance rate for test claims at 87 percent. Nationally, CMS accepted 76 percent of total test claims. Testing did not identify any issues with the Medicare FFS claims systems. This testing week allowed an opportunity for testers and CMS alike to learn valuable lessons about ICD-10 claims processing.
To ensure a smooth transition to ICD-10, CMS verified all test claims had a valid diagnosis code that matched the date of service, a National Provider Identifier (NPI) that was valid for the submitter ID used for testing, and an ICD-10 companion qualifier code to allow for processing of claims. In many cases, testers intentionally included errors in their claims to make sure that the claim would be rejected, a process often referred to as “negative testing.” The majority of rejections on professional claims were common rejects related to an invalid NPI. Some claims were rejected because they were submitted with future dates. Acknowledgement testing cannot accept claims for future dates. Additionally, claims using ICD-10 must have an ICD-10 companion qualifier code. Claims that did not meet these requirements were rejected.
Mark your calendar for upcoming acknowledgement testing weeks on March 2-6, 2015 and June 1-5, 2015. In addition to the special testing weeks, providers are welcome to submit acknowledgement test claims anytime up to the October 1, 2015 implementation date. Contact your Medicare Administrative Contractorfor more information.
For more information:
Registration Reminder for DMEPOS Competitive Bidding: Round 2 Recompete & National Mail-Order Recompete
CMS would like to remind all suppliers that registration is now open for those interested in participating in the Round 2 Recompete and/or the national mail-order recompete of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program. In order to submit a bid(s) for the Round 2 Recompete and/or the national mail-order recompete, you must first register in the Individuals Authorized Access to CMS Computer Services (IACS) online application. Once you have registered in IACS, you will receive a user ID and password to access the online DMEPOS Bidding System (DBidS). You must register even if you registered during a previous round of competition (Round 1 Recompete, Round 2, or the national mail-order competition). Only suppliers who have a user ID and password will be able to access DBidS; suppliers that do not register will not be able to submit a bid.
If you are a supplier interested in bidding, you must designate one individual listed as an authorized official (AO) on your organization’s CMS-855S enrollment application in the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) to act as your AO for registration purposes. After an AO successfully registers, other individuals listed as an AO on the CMS-855S in PECOS may register as backup authorized officials (BAOs).The AO must approve a BAO’s request to register. The AO and BAOs can designate other individuals not listed as an AO on the CMS-855S in PECOS to serve as end users (EUs).BAOs and EUs must also register for a user ID and password in IACS in order to access DBidS. The name and Social Security number of the AO and BAO entered in IACS must match exactly with what is recorded on the CMS-855S and on file in PECOS to register successfully. Bidders are prohibited from sharing user IDs and passwords.
CMS strongly urges all AOs to register no later than January 6, 2015, to ensure that BAOs and EUs have time to register. We recommend that BAOs register no later than January 20, 2015, so that they will be able to assist AOs with approving EU registration before bidding begins on January 22, 2015.
Registration extends into the bidding period and will close on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 9pm prevailing ET– no AOs, BAOs, or EUs can register after registration closes. Bidding will close on Wednesday, March 25, 2015.
To register, go to the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) website, www.dmecompetitivebid.com, click on Round 2 & National Mail-Order Recompete, and then click on "Registration is Open” above the Registration clock. CMS strongly recommends that you:
CMS would also like to remind you to:
- Review and update your enrollment records. Suppliers must maintain accurate information on their CMS-855S enrollment application with the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC) and in PECOS. It is important to note that if your record is not current at the time of registration, you may experience delays and/or be unable to register and bid. We will also validate your bid data against your enrollment record in PECOS during bid evaluation. If it is not current or accurate, your bid(s) may be disqualified.
- Get licensed. Supplier locations must be licensed as applicable by the state in which it furnishes, or will furnish, products and services under the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program.
- Get accredited. Supplier locations must be accredited by a CMS-approved accrediting organization for the products and services it furnishes, or will furnish, under the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program.
The CBIC is the official information source for bidders. All suppliers interested in bidding are urged to sign up for E-mail Updates on the home page of the CBIC website. For information about the Round 2 Recompete and the national mail-order recompete, please refer to the bidder education materials located under Round 2 & National Mail-Order Recompete > Bidding Suppliers on this website. The CBIC participates in numerous educational events to assist stakeholders in understanding the rules that govern the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program. Visit the CBIC website for a listing and schedule of educational events under the Educational Information section of the Round 2 & National Mail-Order Recompete page.
In addition to viewing the information on the CBIC website, suppliers are encouraged to call the CBIC customer service center toll-free, at 877-577-5331, with their questions. During registration and bidding periods, the customer service center will be open from 9am to 9pm ET. |
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