News Brief: CMS reminds providers to file HIPAA extension
October 1, 2002
Fewer than 3% of entities covered under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) have filed for an extension to the Transaction and Code Sets Standards compliance deadline of Oct. 16, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced.
The Administrative Simplification Compliance Act allows hospitals a one-year extension, until Oct. 16, 2003, as long as they submit a compliance plan by Oct. 15, 2002 "either by paper or, preferably, electronically at www.cms.hhs.gov."
CMS is encouraging hospitals to submit the compliance plans, and implement and test the new standards as soon as possible, according to a statement by CMS chief operating officer Ruben King-Shaw Jr.