To minimize these disruptions, physicians who perform electronic transactions—or use a billing service or clearinghouse to do so—should contact their practice-management-system vendors and billing services soon, as this will involve significant billing-system upgrades.

CMA has created sample letters that member-physicians can use to begin analyzing their HIPAA upgrade needs with their vendors and billing services. The letters are available in a customizable Microsoft Word format that physicians can modify for their own use. If you do not receive a timely response, follow up.

CMA members can download the sample letters from the HIPAA Resource Center at CMA’s members-only website, http://www.cmanet.org/logon.

CMA is hard at work preparing new information and resources to help physicians through the challenges of this information technology revolution. Although preparing for HIPAA’s electronic transactions rule will involve a significant amount of time and money in the short term, physician practices will benefit from the administrative simplification in the future.

Contact: CMA’s HIPAA Help Line, 415/882-3311 or legalinfo@cmanet.org.