FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 15, 2003
DHSS expects smooth transition to new electronic transactions required by HIPAA
Alaska Medicaid will accept electronic claims in current form, work with providers & billing firms to bring their electronic transactions into HIPAA compliance.
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In Alaska, Medicaid, health plans, and health care providers have spent millions of dollars preparing their health claims and payment systems so they can comply with federal rules that go into effect on October 16, 2003. Last year, 125,000 Alaskans had Medicaid coverage, 4,771 providers were paid $630 million for services, and over 5 million claims were processed. Nationwide only a small percentage of plans and providers are expected to be ready on October 16, and some disruption in health care payments is anticipated.
“To assure there will not be a disruption in Medicaid payments to Alaskan providers, the Alaska Dept. of Health & Social Services (DHSS) Medicaid program will continue to accept electronic claims in the current format for some time,” said Nancy Cornwell, HIPAA coordinator for the Medicaid program. “Only a handful of our providers will be submitting compliant claims by October 16,” she said.
“It is the state’s intention to work with providers and billing firms to bring their electronic transactions into compliance,” Dwayne Peeples, director of the Division of Health Care Services said.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) passed
in 1996 included administrative simplification provisions requiring
health plans and providers to use standard formats and code sets when
they send each other electronic claims, remittance advices, and other
transactions.
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For more information, please contact
Sherry Hill, Special Assistant to the Commissioner for Communications
(907) 465-1611Or
Ross Soboleff
Public Information Officer III
(907) 465-1611
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