ET&T
HIPAA Statement (we recognize that it needs to be updated)
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HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
was signed into law on August 21st, 1996. This law impacts all areas of the health care
industry.
The major components are:
- Standards for transactions and data elements for such transactions
that are exchanged electronically. Compliance is required by
10/16/2002 unless a one-year extension is granted (small health plans have until
10/16/2003). These standards include ASC X12N 837, ver 4010 for Health care claims and
code sets ICD-9-CM, CPT-4(CPT-5), HCPCS, CDT-2(dental), and NDC(Drug codes).
ET&T is currently becoming "outbound-compliant" with the new transaction
standards, and should be approved with multiple payors by the end of 2002.
However, many health plans have notified ET&T that they are filing for the one-year
extension.
October 2003: CMS (Medicare+Medicaid) and the BC/BS Nat'l Assoc have issued
contingency plans that allow for the transmission of non-compliant (prior to ANSI) claims
after 10/15/03 to ensure the payment of claims. We anticipate that the use of contingency
plans will reduce the deadline's pressure.
- Privacy Regulations to protect the privacy and confidentiality of
health information. Compliance is required by 04/14/2003.
ET&T has always protected the privacy of individual health information. ET&T is
currently evaluating the privacy law and making appropriate changes as required to be in
compliance with HIPAA privacy regulations by the required due date.
- Security standards to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of
health information when it is electronically stored, maintained or transmitted. This standard also creates a separate standard for electronic signatures.
Compliance will not be required until 24 months after its adoption and publication.
ET&T is evaluating the security standards and will be making such changes as necessary
to be in compliance with HIPAA security standards by the required due date.
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Important Note:
HIPAA allows a health care provider (and/or billing service) to use a clearinghouse to
convert non-standard transactions to standard transactions. ET&T is
here for you!
As a Clearinghouse, ET&T will continue to accept non-standard transactions from health
care providers and will be forwarding all claims to the appropriate health plans in the
ANSI transaction format as testing is completed. As each health plan becomes
"ready" to accept the new format, ET&T will coordinate a start date with
them for testing purposes. |
| End of general statement, posted: 05/15/2002, updated
10/22/2003. Our specific/detailed/updated plans
will be posted in client mailboxes. |
