webinars. In the meantime, physicians can plan ahead by visit- ing TMA’s webpages dedicated to HIPAA 5010, www.texmed .org/5010, and ICD-10,
www.texmed.org/ICD10. (The Febru- ary 2012 issue of Texas Medicine will have more information about ICD-10. Plus, you can earn continuing medical educa- tion credit by reading the articles in that issue and answering a few questions.) If the conversion to HIPAA 5010 is news to you, act fast and find out whether you need to upgrade your electronic billing systems. Failure to prepare for 5010 could result in claim re- jections, payment delays or loss, unexpected expenses, or the financial ruin of your medical practice. Luckily, TMA, the American Medical Association, and CMS have a plethora of tools to help you prepare for the transition to HIPAA 5010. (See “TMA Helps You Get Ready for HIPAA 5010,” below.) If you haven’t start-
ed preparing, don’t count on the govern- ment to push back the deadline. Todd Moore, MD, an Ar- lington colorectal sur- geon and a member of the TMA Ad Hoc Committee on Health Information Technol- ogy, urges physicians to act immediately if they haven’t yet taken steps to comply with HIPAA 5010. “I don’t think we can hold out hope for any delays. The Jan. 1 deadline seems fixed. Physicians need to prepare now, or they’ll be working for nothing next year,” Dr. Moore said. Dr. Wiesenthal ad- vises unprepared phy- sicians to contact their vendors, payers, and clearinghouses. (See “Questions to Ask,” page 16.) “Talk to them about what they have done to comply with the new transaction stan- dards, and have a list of questions on hand,” she said. “Determine the workflow modifi-
cations that you need to make, and take action right away.” TMA established the HIPAA 5010 Resource Center on the TMA website to help physicians get ready. Log on to www
.texmed.org/5010.
Test your system
HIPAA 5010 essentially is a means to submit more comprehen- sive claim forms — up to 12 diagnosis codes on one claim. It’s vital that you test the 5010 transactions with trading partners — payers, clearinghouses, and billing services — to prevent cash flow disruptions. Before testing, make sure you have taken these steps to
prepare:
• Run all available updates for your practice management sys- tem. Find out if your vendor charges for updates. You may
TMA helps you get ready for HIPAA 5010
Visit the TMA HIPAA 5010 Resource Center,
www.texmed.org/5010. It features questions to ask vendors; contact information for electronic health record (EHR), practice management, and clearinghouse vendors; guidance on financing up- grades and new systems; and an action plan for practices. (See “Eight Steps to HIPAA 5010,” page 15.) TMA conducted a Tele-Town Hall Meeting on the HIPAA 5010 electronic claim
standards in September. TMA President C. Bruce Malone, MD, moderated the dis- cussion, which featured expert presentations from TMA physician leaders and staff members. Physicians who participated in the call learned the details of the con- version, how to prepare to upgrade their practice management or EHR systems, how to develop an action plan, and the impact of 5010 on a practice’s business functions. To listen to a recorded podcast of the discussion, visit
www.texmed.org/ podcast. Assistance with planning for the transition to HIPAA 5010 also is available from
the regional extension centers (see page 16). The American Medical Association’s 5010 Toolkit: The Physician’s Practical
Guide to Implementing HIPAA Version 5010, available online (
www.ama-assn.org/ resources/doc/washington/5010-toolkit.pdf) includes 5010 implementation steps and a checklist, information on testing for 5010 compliance, and more. Alexis Wiesenthal, MD, a San Antonio internist, says her staff took advantage
of HIPAA 5010 educational resources from the Centers for Medicare and Med- icaid Services (
www.cms.gov/Versions5010andD0/40_Educational_Resources. asp#TopOfPage) and training provided by the practice’s EHR vendor.
November 2011 TEXAS MEDICINE 13
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