Are you prepared for HIPAA 5010?

When you hear something like "HIPAA 5010," you may think that the 5010 is referring to a year. Well, if it's currently 2009, then 5010 is a long ways away...

Actually, HIPAA 5010 refers to a new standard that will replace the current version (ASC X12N 4010A1) transactions. So how does 4010A1 compare to 5010? There are changes in claims information as they relate to Medicare, informed consent, patient privacy, and much more. 4010 was first adopted in 2000 and amended in 2002 to version 4010A1. Now, we're about to see many shift to 5010 (some are already making changes to adopt 5010). In the world of health IT, you could carry conversations simply using acronyms.

Here's a key to the health IT alphabet soup:

• HIPAA = Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act 
• ASC = Accredited Standards Committee X12N 
• EDI  =  Electronic Data Interchange

The Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12 develops electronic data interchange (EDI) standards and related documents for national and global markets.

To learn more, you can visit: http://www.x12.org/