HHS Publishes 2017 Fall Unified Agenda

CONCORD, Calif., Dec. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On 12/14, HHS published the Fall 2017 Unified Agenda, which included a proposed rule making entitled Administrative Simplification; Health Care Claims Attachments (CMS-0053-P). This proposed rule would adopt standards and operating rules for attachments based on statutory requirements introduced in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and reinforced in the Affordable Care Act. In general, it would apply to circumstances in which a provider attaches clinical information to a transaction that it is being transmitted to a health plan. HHS is required to adopt standards and operating rules to facilitate the electronic exchange of clinical information. The HHS Unified Agenda proposed rule making action is scheduled as an NPRM for August of 2018.

"This is a very exciting announcement by HHS," shares Steve Stevens, CEO of Jopari Solutions. "Our team has not only been actively engaged in supporting industry advocacy efforts but also we have already begun to implement connectivity between providers and payers in the commercial/governmental segments to exchange attachments using the proposed Healthcare Claim Attachment standards.  Through stakeholders' collaboration in using these standards they had been able to realize the efficiencies associated with electronic attachments that result in improved flow of clinical information, reduced administrative cost and enhancement of the patient care delivery process.  The implementation of attachment standards across all lines of healthcare business will result in substantial cost savings, not only to providers and commercial health plans, but also to government health programs."

Jopari has been managing electronic attachments in the Workers' Compensation and Auto Medical space for over 10 years, and presently processes over 4,000,000 electronic documents a month between providers' office automation and payer systems. "Much of the expertise building and operating this widespread connectivity network is immediately transferable across the other lines of healthcare business including commercial and government. In many cases, it is the same providers, using the same systems, generating the same documents, regardless of the line of business that we are already working with. This allows stakeholders to be able to leverage their existing technology investments, connectivity and resources to be able to electronically send and receive attachments today using one standard automated workflow process," Stevens adds.

The proposed regulations incorporate standards that are currently deployed as well as those of emerging technologies. "This is an ideal approach to facilitate adoption and speed of implementation so that providers and payers alike can begin widespread clinical data exchange," states Sherry Wilson, EVP and Chief Compliance Officer for Jopari. "We fully expect that adding these rules will reap many if not more of the same administrative simplification benefits the P&C industry has seen for many years."

Jopari Solutions, Inc. is a healthcare information technology company supplying innovative healthcare Attachment management and flexible medical payments products; and integrated eBill compliance and flexible medical payments for Workers' Compensation and Auto Medical markets. Jopari has established an extensive connectivity network linking Payers, Providers, practice management systems and clearinghouses, and offers innovative solutions to assist with the management of attachments. Jopari enhances Payers' ability to manage medical bills and disbursements, allowing reductions in associated expenses in addition to compliance with applicable federal rules and jurisdiction eBill/ePay regulatory requirements. Jopari maintains best practice SSAE 16 Type II attested internal controls. For more information visit www.jopari.com or email us at [email protected] or call 800.630.6030 x5700.

SOURCE Jopari Solutions, Inc.