Tips for Medicare ICD-10 Acknowledgement Testing

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is reminding providers that they can conduct acknowledgement testing with Medicare contractors anytime up to the October 1 compliance date.


The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is reminding providers that they can conduct acknowledgement testing with Medicare contractors anytime up to the October 1 compliance date.

However, Medicare also is setting up two more virtual acknowledgement “testing weeks,” during which providers have access to real-time help desk support and allow the agency to analyze testing data. The dates are March 2-6 and June 1-5, and registration is not required. Information on the acknowledgement testing weeks is available here.

CMS offers tips on what to expect during acknowledgement tests:

*Test claims will receive the 277CA or 999 acknowledgement as appropriate, to confirm that the claim was accepted or rejected in the system.

*Test claims will be subject to all current front-end edits, including edits for valid National Provider Identifiers (NPIs), Provider Transaction Access Numbers (PTANs), and codes, including Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) and place of service.

*Testing will not confirm claim payment or produce a Remittance Advice (RA).

*MACs and CEDI will be staffed to handle increased call volume during this week.

*Make sure test files have the "T" in the ISA15 field to indicate the file is a test file.

*Send ICD-10 coded test claims that closely resemble the claims that you currently submit.

*Use valid submitter ID, NPI, and PTAN combinations.

*Use current dates of service on test claims (i.e. October 1, 2014 through March 1, 2015).

*Do not use future dates of service or your claim will be rejected.

Medicare also is offering end-to-end testing in April and July 2015, letting about 850 providers participate during each round. While there have been concerns that some Medicare contractors and other payers have not generated remittance advice to complete end-to-end testing, the agency expects to include remittance in these tests. Forms to participate are on regional contractor websites.

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