Providers gear up for new HIPAA regulations
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services won’t seek out and issue fines and penalties to health care organizations that don’t comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) transactions and code sets rule after the Oct. 16 deadline, but will focus on helping covered entities meet the new requirements.
The agency does not have the resources to search for noncompliant entities and will deal with noncompliance on a case-by-case basis, according to Leslie Norwalk, CMS deputy administrator.
Providers who still need help meeting the requirements that are intended to eliminate the hassle and costs of paper claims forms by requiring payers, clearinghouses, and providers to follow a standardized form for transmitting claims information can visit a web site designed by the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange in Reston, VA, and the Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare in Washington, DC.
The web site contains schedules for testing and implementing electronic transactions standards, links to different organizations’ best practices HIPAA companion guides, and links to other useful web sites related to transaction and code sets requirements.
To access the web site, go to: www.wedi.org/snip/caqhimptools.
JCAHO revises areas for random surveys in 2004
The Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has revised the fixed and variable performance areas that will be evaluated during random unannounced surveys beginning next year. Starting in 2004, performance will be reviewed in selected critical focus areas: processes, systems, or structures in a health care organization that significantly impact the quality and safety of care. The 2004 fixed performance areas are:
- staffing;
- infection control;
- medication management;
- national patient safety goals that are relevant to an organization’s care and services.
A sample of 5% of organizations accredited under the ambulatory care, behavioral health care, home care, hospital, and long-term care programs are selected randomly for unannounced surveys each year. Random unannounced surveys will end in January 2006 when JCAHO begins conducting all regular accreditation surveys on an unannounced basis.
Free HIV information available for patients
Clearly written, straightforward information about HIV, antiviral dosing, lipodystrophy, and hepatitis C are available for both patients and health care providers at no cost from Visionary Health Concepts in New York City. To see a complete list of the organizations publications and newsletters, go to: www.freehivinfo.com, or contact Visionary Health Concepts, 224 Centre St., Suite 2E, New York, NY 10013. Tele-phone: (800) 491-2181. Fax: (800) 407-2505. E-mail: [email protected].
Providers gear up for new HIPAA regulations; JCAHO revises areas for random surveys in 2004; Free HIV information available for patients
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