This week's HIPAA 5010 readiness webinar was mostly an opportunity for CMS staffers to regurgitate the same news they've been blasting in our inboxes for weeks. But there were a couple of warning shots you definitely should heed. The main topic was preparation for the July 1 cutover from the 4010 version. However, the 40-minute Q&A period yielded a few interesting tidbits as to how to fend off any payment hiccups starting next month.

You don't have much time to prepare for CMS' three-day billing window for hospital practices which goes into effect July 1. So even if you're not sure whether your practice is wholly owned by a hospital, there are a few things you need to know.

Here’s a brief summary of points CMS addresses in its June 14 released FAQs on the three-day billing rule. 

Discussions of ways to permanently or at least temporarily fix the sustainable growth rate (SGR) for 2013 – and prevent drastic cuts to physician payments – have started already.

“We’re seeing activity earlier on in the year than we have in the past,” says Miranda Franco, government affairs representative for the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) in Washington, D.C. Whether Congress can agree to permanent fixes in the challenging budget environment remains to be seen, she adds.

The docs are not all right, per this survey from Sermo and Athena Health, particularly when it comes to EHR.

The two consultancies interviewed hundreds of physicians and came up with a grim picture.

CMS has announced that your remittance advice will continue in 4010 format for at least another 30 days due to processing issues with the 5010 version of these transactions.

CMS will soon issue more information on the final cutoff date, according to the announcement.