Final HIPAA e-transaction regs published by DHHSThe final HIPAA rules on transaction standards were published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Aug. 17, after being signed by Secretary Donna Shalala on July 26. Located at
The final HIPAA rules on transaction standards were published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Aug. 17, after being signed by Secretary Donna Shalala on July 26. Located at
http://aspe.hhs.gov/admnsimp/final/txfin00.htm
, the rules put into place national standards for eight types of electronic transactions, including claims submission, eligibility verification, referral authorizations, and coding for diagnoses. They will become effective 60 days after publication, and most healthcare organizations will have 24 months thereafter to comply. However, if privacy standards are delayed, a provision in the final transaction rules states that they can be suspended or revoked
A flurry of new product releases coincided with the DHHS publication of the final HIPAA regs, and not just by security and systems vendors. Market research firms such as the Gartner Group and First Consulting Group have also launched new tools and related products designed to help organizations comply with the HIPAA rules.