October 16, 2003 is the deadline for physicians, insurers, providers and claims clearinghouses to use standardized national formats for claims and several other claim-related transactions. Physicians may find helpful information regarding HIPAA compliant practice management software systems at, http://www.hipaa.org/pmsdirectory/
To help physicians meet the transaction standards, privacy
rules and other HIPAA regulations, the AAFP, the Medical Group Management Assn., the
American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine and other societies
launched a site to educate and inform doctors about HIPAA. The site includes an
online directory that physician practice management software companies can use to let
doctors know whom they can contact at the company with their HIPAA questions, the name of
the vendor's software product, the version and what HIPAA transactions that product
supports know. Some vendors may not yet be listed. Medical societies are
currently contacting vendors. If a vendor is not on the list you should call your
vendor and ask them to be placed on the list. The listings are free to vendors
and doctors should not construe the listings as an endorsement of any particular vendor's
software. For general HIPAA resources visit, http://www.hipaa.org
.