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Re: <OFF TOPIC> What Would You Say to A Congressman Re HIPAA?
> I am really serious about holding Ganske and possibly Nussle
> publicly accountable on this HIPAA mess. I'd love to do the same to the
> other parties, but they don't allow such interactions.
>
> Again, I ask for your questions, problems with the law, suggestions
> for corrective legislation.
>
Well, once I get past my ideological problem with the government telling two
private businesses (e.g., a payer and a provider) they may no longer conduct
business electronically unless they do so using a government-mandated data
format, I really have no "mess" to complain about. (But trust me, I am in fact
NOT past that). I have no ideological problem with a payer - including
government payers such as Medicare and Medicaid - taking the view that, "since I
am paying, you will submit your electronic claims in the format I specify."
While I have not qualified as a political liberal since the late 1960's, I
really think former Secy. Donna Shalala did a hell of a job just to create that
first set of regulations; and the X12N group produced EDI IG's as good as
anything I've seen in the private sector. (And I haven't said THAT about a
government program EVER before).
My complaint is only that which I specified: given that the regulations were
issued with dates for the standard transactions, offering what by any objective
standard constituted adequate lead time, why did Congress give in to the delay
request, and do so by burying the delay in a 'must-pass' appropriations bill
just before Congress left for their Christmas vacat.. er, "district work period"
at the end of December? This delay punishes those of us who made the investment
in time, money and opportunity cost to be ready.
(Maybe that is a better way to phrase my complaint.)
My congressman (Paul Ryan, R-WI (1)) just ignored my phone calls; and was not
accepting mail in December due to the anthrax thing. Maybe Dr. Ganske and Mr.
Nussell (ifthey are still around) will listen and remember when the (inevitable,
in my view) request for yet another extension comes up for a vote, probably in
winter or spring '03.
Michael Mattias
Tal Systems, Inc.
Racine WI
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