View questions and answers about the nationwide standards for HIPAA compliant electronic administrative health care transactions.
This page contains a series of frequently asked questions. You can use the search bar below to explore additional FAQ pages.
Q3:
Is the Defense Online Enrollment System enrollment application HIPAA compliant?
A:
The DOES application is a web-based, direct data entry system which can be utilized by Managed Care Support Contractors to enroll TRICARE beneficiaries into TRICARE programs in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System. DOES has been updated to include HIPAA-compliant data elements. The system includes upgraded security features and was deployed to all users as of May 2003. All TRICARE enrollments are performed using the HIPAA-compliant DOES application.
Q4:
When will the Claims/Clinical Attachments Final Rule be published?
A:
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published a Claims Attachments Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (CMS-005-0-F) in the Federal Register in September 2005. However, that NPRM was withdrawn in 2010 because of technology and business need changes. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 requires the Department of Health and Human Services to publish a Final Rule to adopt a Claims Attachment Standard and Operating Rules by January 2014 with an effective date not later than January 2016. Please note, while originally called "Claims Attachments" the health care industry has shifted toward the phrase "Clinical Attachments" to reflect the broader usage of the standard for purposes including but not limited to claims, referrals, and requests for pre-authorization. On 5 July 2016, National Committee on Vital and Health Services, the statutory advisory committee responsible for providing recommendations on health information policy and standards to HHS, recommended HHS publish a Final Rule to adopt a Clinical Attachment standard. As of January 2017, a Final Rule to adopt a Clinical Attachments Standard and Operating Rules had not been published.