HHS updates timetable for components of HIPAA
April 15, 2002 2 minutes read
HHS updates timetable for components of HIPAA
The recent extension for the transaction and code sets required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is just one change health care providers must be aware of, says Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) undersecretary Donna Eden.
For starters, the first set of modifications and changes to the original transactions rule, which were developed with substantial of input from affected providers, suppliers, and health plans, now are sitting at the Office of Management and Budget waiting for clearance, she says.
The proposed changes can be viewed at the HHS web site, www.hhs.gov, she adds. "There are no secrets, no surprises, no standard rule making," says Eden. "These are all responses to requests from the industry." She says time timeframe for release is "very soon."
In addition, Eden says there is finally movement in other areas as well. "It is very hard to finish construction of a new system if you only have the blueprint for parts of it," Eden concedes. "We are trying very hard to get these next pieces out the door."
The National Provider Identifier should be available very soon, she says. That will be a final rule to give the criterion the standards to replace the current multiple sets of identifiers. "We have seven sets of institutional numbering systems, which will be collapsed to one uniform set."
The employer identifier, which Eden says has not been the subject of any controversy since it originally was proposed in 1998, also is close to completion. "That is nothing more or less than the tax employer identifier number," she says.
The security portion has gone through several rounds of revision in order to make sure that it comports with the new privacy rules as well the proposed changes to privacy, says Eden. She offered no specific timeframe, however.
The electronic signature is on hold because Congress has, in the intervening time from enacting HIPAA, enacted two subsequent electronic signature pieces of legislation that must be reconciled, says Eden.
In addition, she says the health care industry has been telling HHS that there is not yet an industry standard ready for adoption. "There are several major electronic signature standards available," she explains.
"But they don’t talk to each other, and the interoperability issues have not yet been satisfactorily resolved to the level where a national standard can be promulgated."
"Don’t hold your breath looking for a national electronic signature standard until some of those issues have been resolved by the standard-setting organizations that are working on this issue," adds Eden.
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content