As a part of CMS updates, healthcare entities across, including physician offices and hospitals, had been informed that their compliance with HIPAA 5010 standards should be proven by January 1, 2012. However, this hipaa 5010 compliance deadline has now been extended to March 31, 2011. CMS or Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued this update on November 17, 2011. This means provision of an added 90 days, ensuring that healthcare organizations and business associates struggling to adopt HIPAA 5010 standards have more time.

HIPAA 5010 represents updated HIPAA Transaction Standards and these are very specific regarding the protocol for transaction processing of claims. Following HIPAA 5010 Rule is also necessary to ensure compliance with ICD-10 Diagnostic Codes that are to be enacted in 2013. This extension is applicable to all covered entities that are not following benchmarks defined across ASC X12 Version 5010 (Version 5010), NCPDP 3.0 and NCPDP D.0.

Until the extended date arrives, the OESS (Office of eHealth Standards and Services) will not take any regulatory/legal action against those found guilty of violating 5010 transaction benchmarks. However, OESS will still maintain supervision over business entities where non-compliance is suspected.

This extension is a life-saver for covered entities struggling with adopting software solutions to update their electronic processing systems. They urgently need to contact dependable software vendors and seek Electronic Processing or Practice Management Systems that can ensure HIPAA 5010 compliance.

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