CMS Will Delay Enforcement of 5010 Standards Compliance

CMS Will Delay Enforcement of 5010 Standards Compliance

Update courtesy of Page, Wolfberg & Wirth

On November 17, 2011, CMS announced a 90-day enforcement “grace period” for compliance with the new HIPAA 5010 transaction and code set standards.  This means that CMS will not initiate enforcement action against providers that are not in compliance with the 5010 standards until Saturday, March 31, 2012.

This is welcome news for many providers that are rushing to ensure they are ready for the transition at the end of this year.  Ambulance services that engage in covered electronic transactions, like claim submissions, are required to begin using the new 5010 standards as of January 1, 2012.  The new standards will enable providers to transition from the current ICD-9 codes to the new ICD-10-CM codes in October of 2013.

Despite the enforcement delay, CMS emphasizes that the official compliance date for use of the new standards remains Sunday, January 1, 2012.  At our upcoming spring abc3 conferences, PWW will discuss what the transition to ICD-10 codes will mean for the ambulance condition codes and discuss effective solutions your service will need to prepare for the switch to ICD-10 .

Click HERE to discover what late-breaking topics will be covered at spring abc3 and to register for this exciting event.