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LETTERS TO EDITOR

Dear Editor,

I read that HIPAA compliance regulations have been delayed for a year. Is this true?

Signed,

Dear Hopeful,

Sorry, but only one component of the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations has been delayed.

On December 27, 2001, President Bush signed legislation that delayed the implementation date of the transaction and code sets rule, just one of the requirements under HIPAA. The new law gives providers and other covered entities an additional year to bring computer systems into compliance for the transmission of electronic patient data, such as health care claims, in new required formats. The new national, uniform formats and medical code sets are to be used for all claims data submitted to and from health care providers and payors. The deadline for compliance has been extended from October 16, 2002 to October 16, 2003. But to receive an extension, the provider must submit a compliance plan to the Department of Health and Human Services.

HIPAA’s medical privacy rule which addresses the need to protect certain health information still has an implementation date of April 14, 2003.

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