Bruce: When we discuss things here, please work under the assumption of an environment conforming to the HIPAA TCS and Privacy rules, more or less as they are promulgated today. It would be too clumsy to preface everything we say with "If HIPAA TCS were still the law and compliance were required..." Or, if you prefer using the Buckeye subjunctive, something like "If it *wuz* the law..." Rest assured that if the HIPAA TCS Rule were abandoned, cancelled, de-promulgated, de-enacted, obliterated - or whatever - that probably a lot of things we've discussed (and that will find their way into the recommendations) won't have any relevance, let alone the force of law.
Now having disposed of your red herring, can we start over again? Please tell us (if the HIPAA TCS law *wuz* in effect) why you believe Christine has to wait around for paper TPAs and other enrollment hurdles to be completed before she sends HIPAA compliant transactions to a payer? William J. Kammerer Novannet, LLC. Columbus, US-OH 43221-3859 +1 (614) 487-0320 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bruce T LeGrand" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "WEDi/SNIP ID & Routing" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, 17 July, 2002 11:14 AM Subject: RE:Trading Partner Agreements I actually spoke off-line to Christine about this yesterday, and I tried not to answer this morning, but just could not shut up. A little bit naive was Christine's reference to a board member's suggestion, and for good reason. As those of us in health care know, arguing with a payer about your claim format, especially when you don't yet have the force of law behind you, is only likely to make you miss payroll. ------------------( Forwarded letter 1 follows )-------------------- Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2002 21:38:31 -0400 To: WEDi/SNIP.ID.&.Routing[routing]@wedi.org.comp From: William.J.Kammerer[wkammerer]@novannet.com.comp Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Trading Partner Agreements Here's someone, Christine Jensen, who's not afraid of playing hardball. >From her posting on the HIPAAlive discussion list, it does kind of sound like she's having a problem getting payers to say just what the heck they want from providers. Or maybe payers are just not ready yet to part with their "companion" guides. Or whatever. But what I find really interesting here is that Christine appears to be saying "the heck with it," and wants to just send the standard transactions - and the payers had better be ready for them. She might still have the problem of finding out where to send the standard transactions - but that's something I hope we can help her with! Anyway, I don't think Christine is being naïve: she obviously has figured out what to place in the standard transactions, so why can't payers figure out how to read them? What is it in a TPA-cum-companion guide that helps either party in effecting the electronic relationship? William J. Kammerer Novannet, LLC. Columbus, US-OH 43221-3859 +1 (614) 487-0320 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jensen, Christine" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, 15 July, 2002 05:47 PM Subject: TCS: Trading Partner Agreements At this time none of my trading partners, health plans since we are a provider entity, have contacted us regarding trading partner agreements. I'm beginning to contact them since I don't want to hear for the first time about a TPA for a specific payer in July 2003. One of the executive staff members suggested giving potential trading partners a deadline; essentially telling them that if we don't hear from you regarding a TPA by 2/03 (or whatever) that we cannot enter into a TPA until some future date and that they will receive only the transaction as defined in the IG. There may be a bit of naiveté in that at suggestion, but I wondered if any providers were taking this kind of approach with trading partners and if so, what you experience has been. Thanks. Christine Jensen HIPAA Project Manager Denver Health 303.436.7942 discussions on this listserv therefore represent the views of the individual participants, and do not necessarily represent the views of the WEDI Board of Directors nor WEDI SNIP. If you wish to receive an official opinion, post your question to the WEDI SNIP Issues Database at http://snip.wedi.org/tracking/. Posting of advertisements or other commercial use of this listserv is specifically prohibited.