Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA)
In September 2000, DSI pledged to all of its customers that its software will be fully compliant with all relevant HIPAA standards to be adopted by the industry.
Overview
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 is an important law, passed by Congress, which is expected to have a major impact on every healthcare organization in the country.
Title II of HIPAA, the Administrative Simplification Compliance Act, is a major component of the HIPAA legislation. The Act instructs the Department of Health & Human Services to adopt standards for transactions that are conducted electronically between healthcare providers and insurers, and between insurers.
The four components of Administrative Simplification are:
The goal of these provisions is to simplify the administrative burden placed on healthcare providers. HIPAA standards were finalized in Fall 2000, and many will become requirements as early as October 2002. Other requirements will be phased in over the course of several years.
As with all other relevant standards adopted by the healthcare industry since our inception in 1982, DSI is committed to ensuring that our software adheres strictly to HIPAA and other regulatory requirements prior to when such regulations go into effect.
Data Strategies has a proven track record for complying with major relevant standards - such as ANSI and Y2K - as early in the process as possible. The same has been the case with HIPAA.
For our clients, the day HIPAA standards took effect was like January 1, 2000: just another day in the office. This gave tremendous peace of mind for the thousands of healthcare providers, office managers and staff around the United States who rely on DSI software to perform mission-critical tasks like billing, scheduling, and working with confidential patient information in a secure computing environment.
Important Note: Data Strategies is committed to offering all clients a cost-effective, reliable electronic transaction solution that adheres strictly to all relevant regulatory requirements.
Therefore, healthcare providers who have any concerns or questions whatsoever with regard to HIPAA compliance, as well as any compliance or EDI connectivity issues related to any of DSI's electronic "trading partners" (i.e., government payers, commercial payers, and/or clearinghouses) are strongly encouraged to contact their DSI representative.