Running late with your HIPAA 5010 project? Then take small solace in the fact that you're not alone, at least according to a pair of surveys.
Citing difficulties with competing healthcare IT projects, HIMSS late last week published it's most recent ICD-10/HIPAA 5010 Provider Readiness Survey with results that some people might find troubling.
“Most providers will not be ready to start HIPAA 5010 testing by the recommended date of January 1, 2011,” HIMSS wrote in a statement summarizing the results.
HIMSS found, specifically, that only 38 percent of providers reported having an ongoing HIPAA 5010 initiative, while 35 percent indicated they have no timeline plans for implementing such a project.
Indeed, HIMSS findings nearly mirror ICD10Watch's most recent reader poll which determined that 60 percent of health organizations are uncertain about meeting HIPAA 5010 Level 1 compliance by January 1, 2011.
Level 1 Compliance is a CMS (The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) suggestion, rather than a mandate, but it is important because it leaves the entirety of 2011 for external testing, which CMS and other groups consider ample for meeting the ultimate deadline of January 1, 2012.
Given that, HIMSS and ICD10Watch results, whether taken together or separately, are somewhat disconcerting.
“These factors suggest a 2011 scenario that finds most providers testing later in the year and few taking advantage of the opportunity to implement with trading partners before the January 1, 2012 mandated compliance date,” HIMSS wrote.
What's more, a number of software vendors are running late with HIPAA 5010 enhancements, and providers are still not fully aware of the benefits of HIPAA 5010.
Failing to comply by that mandated date threatens payment and cash flow disruption, over-extension of vendor support desks due to failed transactions and beyond HIPAA 5010, domino-style delays that impact other healthcare IT projects, not least of all ICD-10 conversion.
The good news? This readiness survey determined that more providers have etched a road map to reach HIPAA 5010 than the last survey – even if organizations thus far are making only limited progress.
“Most respondents had decided on an approach to meeting 5010 compliance with 74 percent planning to upgrade an existing system, 17 percent choosing to rely on clearinghouse services, and nine percent planning to replace their system,” HIMSS found.
Tom Sullivan blogs regularly at ICD10Watch.