It's Not Too Late to Enroll for ICD-10 Testing with BCBSTX

If you submit electronic claims, confirming ICD-10 readiness with your software vendor, billing service and/or clearinghouse is just the first step. End-to end or “round-trip” testing with payers is necessary to help ensure your claims will make a successful journey from start to finish.

The best place to encounter issues is within the test environment while there is still time to resolve them. The testing process also offers you and your staff the opportunity to practice coding with ICD-10.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) ICD-10 Testing Program is currently in progress. Participants are submitting “twin” claims for testing – one with ICD-9 codes and the other with ICD-10 codes. BCBSTX is processing both claims with the intention of taking all submitted and accepted test claims to a finalized status. For each finalized test claim, BCBSTX is returning an 835 Electronic Remittance Advice (835 ERA). Participants also receive testing summary results for each set of twin claims.

If you are interested in testing with BCBSTX, you may enroll online using the ICD-10 Testing Enrollment form. Within three to five days after your request is received, BCBSTX will email you an enrollment kit with a brief survey and testing agreement. Upon approval, you will receive a welcome letter with instructions and next steps.

For details on upcoming webinars and other educational resources, visit the ICD-10 page in the Standards and Requirements section of the BCBSTX provider website. You may also find webinar listings in the Notices and Announcements section of this newsletter. If you have questions or need additional information, send an email to icd@bcbstx.com. Or, contact your assigned Network Management Representative for assistance.