The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) suggests a list of questions for providers to ask their payers about their preparedness for the ICD-10 compliance deadline scheduled for October 1, 2014. CMS provides the following questions as a starting point for conversations about payer preparedness and cooperation:
• Are you prepared to meet the ICD-10 deadline of October 1, 2014? Where is your organization in the transition process?
• Who will be my primary contact at your organization for the ICD-10 transition?
• Can we set up regular check-in meetings to keep our progress on track?
• When will you be ready to accept test transactions from my practice?
• What will we need to test with you?
• Do you anticipate any changes in policies or delays in payments to result from the switch to ICD-10?
In order to avoid payment disruptions, providers must coordinate with vendors and payers to ensure technology is compatible and ready for deployment. For more ICD-10 resources from CMS, visit their website.