CMS calls first week of ICD-10 testing a 'success'

BALTIMORE ­­- Approximately 660 providers and billing companies participated in the first week of end-to-end testing for the new ICD-10 coding, CMS announced this week. Of the nearly 15,000 test claims submitted Jan. 26-Feb. 3, most were submitted successfully and processed through CMS's billing system, the agency stated in a press release. Of the claims that were rejected, most were due to errors unrelated to ICD-9 or ICD-10. “Testing allows us to identify areas of improvement, and we will work with outside entities and stakeholders to improve those very small deficiencies identified,” stated CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner in the release. Full implementation of the news code set begins Oct. 1, 2015.