HHS Releases Regulatory Agenda, Includes Health IT Plans

HHS on Monday published its semiannual regulatory agenda, which lists upcoming action on HIPAA and efforts to build a national health information network. According to the agenda, the agency plans to take action on the following items:

• Stark Amendment: A final rule is expected in March 2006 to give safe harbor for some electronic prescribing initiatives under the federal anti-kickback statute;
• Physician self-referral prohibition: A final rule is expected in 2008, although federal officials recently said some rules to lift regulatory barriers to e-prescribing will be delayed until certification programs are in place for electronic health record components;
• Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage: A final rule is expected in February 2008 to support e-prescribing and adopt initial related standards;
• HIPAA: A proposal is scheduled for June 2006 to establish a standard unique national health plan identifier;
•  National Plan and Provider Enumeration System: A notice describing available data is scheduled for publication in February 2006;
• HIPAA: A final administrative enforcement rule is expected in February 2006;
• HIPAA: A proposal is expected in May 2006 to make annual modifications to the standard electronic transactions and code sets. A proposed rule to call for revisions to certain code sets is scheduled for September 2006;
• Claims attachments: A final rule to establish national electronic standards for claims attachments is scheduled for September 2008;
• Medicare: A final rule is expected in December 2006 to employ requirements for electronic submission of claims and conditions for granting a waiver; and
• Medicare: A proposal is scheduled for September 2006 to allow the release of Medicare beneficiary-specific information - with patient consent - from quality improvement organizations to clinicians who have a "treatment relationship" with the beneficiary.

The complete agenda is available in the Oct. 31 issue of the Federal Register.