HIPAA 5010 Deadline Looms in Less Than 12 Weeks

If a recent American College of Physicians (ACP) survey is to be believed, a majority of physician practices could face serious cash-flow issues at the beginning of next year, due to non-compliance with new HIPAA 5010 data standards by the Jan. 1 deadline (effectively, Dec. 30, since Jan. 1 is a Sunday). As reported by CMS in August, only 29 percent of those surveyed by ACP had begun preparations for the transition, with only 52 percent expecting to be ready by the deadline.

What you need to know

• Your systems must be compliant with the new HIPAA 5010 standards by Dec. 30. If they are not, all claims except Workers Compensation will be rejected, and your practice will not get paid. Again: All 4010 transactions will be rejected, beginning 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 30.
• Don't delay! If you have not already started getting your practice ready for HIPAA 5010, you must act immediately. The AMA estimates it could take medical practice months to become HIPAA 5010 compliant. The time will vary depending on the size of your practice and the resources available to tackle the process.

What to do

• Wherever you are in the process, keep testing often and work to correct errors. Don't just rely on your vendors.
• If you already know your practice will not be ready by Dec. 30, start contacting your payers to see what options or back-up plan they may have in place. Begin with your top 10 payers.