MGMA letter to HHS highlights payment disruptions resulting from 5010 conversion

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. Feb. 1, 2012 — The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius regarding major payment disruptions medical practices are experiencing as a result of the federally mandated transition to the HIPAA Version 5010 electronic transaction standard on Jan. 1.

Along with examples of problems practices have been having with the 5010 transition, the Association recommended steps for the government to take to solve them.

In the letter, President and CEO Susan L. Turney, MD, MS, FACP, FACMPE, warned that “should the government not take the necessary steps, many practices face significant cash flow disruptions, operational difficulties, a reduced ability to treat patients, staff layoffs, or even the prospect of closing their practices."

"MGMA’s principle concern is, without immediate action from HHS and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to alleviate these issues, disruptions caused by Version 5010 will ultimately interfere with patient access to quality care," Turney added "As the transition to Version 5010 is a mandatory step toward ICD-10 implementation, this raises even more concerns, given that ICD-10 is exponentially greater than Version 5010.”

About MGMA-ACMPE
MGMA-ACMPE is the premier association for professional administrators and leaders of medical group practices. In 2011, members of the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), and its standard-setting body, the American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE) voted to merge to form a new association. Since 1926, the association has delivered networking, professional education and resources, political advocacy and certification for medical practice professionals. The association represents 22,500 members who lead 13,600 organizations nationwide in which some 280,000 physicians provide more than 40 percent of the healthcare services delivered in the United States.

MGMA-ACMPE’s mission is to continually improve the performance of medical group practice professionals and the organizations they represent, helping medical practices provide efficient, safe, patient-focused and affordable care. MGMA-ACMPE is headquartered in Englewood, Colo., and maintains a government affairs office in Washington, D.C. Please visit mgma.com