CMS has posted online a set of "timeline widgets" to help health care providers manage the transition to HIPAA 5010 and ICD-10 standards, Government Health IT reports (Sullivan, Government Health IT, 9/13).
Background on HIPAA 5010, ICD-10
HHS has set a deadline of Jan. 1, 2012, for using HIPAA 5010 transaction sets, which regulate the transmission of certain health care transactions.
Industry guidelines state that hospitals and medical practices should have installed and tested upgrades with external business partners by Jan. 1, 2011 (iHealthBeat, 8/10).
Meanwhile, health care providers have used ICD-9 code sets for about 30 years for electronic health transactions, but they no longer can be expanded effectively to include codes for new diseases and procedures.
Health care providers have until Oct. 1, 2013, to adopt new ICD-10 code sets. The switch from ICD-9 to ICD-10 code sets means that health care providers and insurers will have to change out nearly 15,000 codes for about 68,000 codes (iHealthBeat, 8/3).
About the Widgets
The widgets are tailored for health care payers, vendors and providers. The resources notify users where they should be in adopting standards at certain points prior to compliance dates.
The information, which is in the public domain, can be downloaded to a desktop and mobile device and be printed (Government Health IT, 9/13).