TEST YOUR VERSION 5010 IMPLEMENTATION EFFORTS

The Version 5010 compliance deadline of Sunday, January 1, 2012, is nearly six months away. All HIPAA-covered entities should be preparing for this transition, which includes conducting external testing with all trading partners (providers, clearinghouses, and vendors) to ensure timely compliance. To assist with testing, CMS, in conjunction with the Medicare Fee-for-Service Program, is holding a National 5010 Testing Day, Wednesday, August 24, 2011. The testing day will serve as an opportunity for trading partners to further test compliance efforts with the added benefit of live help desk support, and direct and immediate access to Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs). This testing day will help facilitate a better understanding of MAC testing protocols and the transition to Version 5010; it is not meant to prohibit trading partners from further compliance testing. All trading partners are encouraged to begin working with their MACs to test transactions as soon as possible.