Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Medicare FFS Program announced that they would hold two National Version 5010 Testing Days – one on June 15 and one on August 24. The program was billed as one that would give trading partners the opportunity to come together and test compliance with the help of a real-times support desk and direct and immediate access to MACs.

Although it is being promoted as a time for technology vendors to officially test with Medicare and Medicaid, many of these organizations have been testing their ability to successfully transmit 5010 data for months to ensure they are prepared. So what is the point of “National Version 5010 Testing Day?” Mostly it is to promote awareness of the pending transition and to reiterate the fact that medical practices must take a few steps to prepare for the transition or risk the integrity of their revenue cycle.

During the first National Testing Day, many technology vendors tweeted about the event or put out statements about preparing for the transition. In addition, there were a few webinars available through GetReady5010.org. However, at the time, many practices thought the transition was too far away and did not need to prepare for the change just yet. This feeling was underscored by MGMA’s June survey, where 85% of respondents said they had not completed an impact analysis yet, which would show how much the 5010 conversion would influence their business operations. The study states this statistic alone implies medical practices are “still relying on the practice management vendor to supply them with information and upgrades/replacement software.”

Practices cannot depend exclusively on technology vendors to supply them with all the necessary information and software updates necessary for 5010. Practices must also educate themselves on the changes that they will be responsible for – including providing a physical mailing address and not a P.O. Box, or supplying a nine-digital zip code. These are changes that only medical practices can do.

So with the implementation date only a few months away and a lot of work still to do to prepare, what should be occurring on August 24, when the second National Version 5010 Testing Day occurs? At this point, practices should be in the middle of testing to ensure that they can successfully transmit 5010 data. And on August 24, they should reach out to CMS’ help desk to ask any questions they have to try to get into compliance and to confirm what changes they will be responsible for. Vendors, in turn, should be reaching out to their clients to produce timelines and information about how their 5010 implementation is going, along with what the vendor still needs to do to ensure they are prepared for January 1, 2012.

Are these the actions that will occur on August 24? Hopefully, but we will see in a few weeks.

Looking to get more out of Twitter? Avid users and newcomers alike can easily expand their industry knowledge, stay on top of the latest trends and monitor best practices − all by following the right mix of associations, pundits and experts. Here’s a brief guide to get you started:

1. Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (@HIMSS). Few PR and marketing professionals in the health IT field aren’t affected by the current dialogue surrounding EMRs, interoperability and the related technologies. HIMSS provides valuable updates on industry events, healthcare reform and a multitude of other topics.
2. Medical Group Management Association (@mgma). If physician practices are part of your target market, this is an excellent resource for staying on top of those issues that impact physicians from a clinical, administrative and financial perspective.
3. Healthcare Financial Management Association (@hfmaorg). By following HFMA, you’ll learn how financial trends are affecting healthcare organizations. You’ll also receive results of recent studies and valuable statistics.
4. Bulldog Reporter (@BulldogReporter). While not specific to healthcare, this is a great resource for B2B PR professionals looking for news and insights to better hone their strategies for generating positive media exposure.
5. Public Relations Society of America (@prsa). As the world’s largest PR organization, PRSA offers tips on educational tools, like webinars and publications, as well as news on issues affecting those working in the field.
6. PRSourceCode (@PRSourceCode). Geared specifically toward PR professionals within the IT industry, this resource provides ways to grow your PR savvy, from Webinars to interviews with editors and industry influencers.
7. HISTalk (@IngaHISTalk). This well-read blog covers a wide range of news and opinion related to the healthcare IT industry and is a great way to hear the perspective of those professionals working in the trenches.
8. iHealthBeat (@iHealthBeat). Compiled by the California Health Care Foundation, this free newsletter combines recent headlines from a variety of news media, including healthcare trades, magazines and daily newspapers. With so much content being written about healthcare IT, it’s a simple way to scan the headlines and make sure you’re not missing something specific your unique interests.
9. The New York Times Prescriptions Blog (@NYTPrescription). Monitoring the constant activity surrounding the proposed healthcare reform is no easy task. This blog from The New York Times is a great all-in-one-source for the latest on current proposals, what they mean for various stakeholders and what the experts have to say about it.
10. AP Style Book (@APStylebook). Keeping up on the latest style rules is much simpler when you follow the AP Style Book. You can even ask the editor a question and receive a response to a specific style question.

Any others you’d add to the list? We’d love to hear your thoughts.