insurance code extension

[isali]

FYI & address
October 13, 2002
Dear Alternative Medicine, Nursing or Integrative Healthcare Advocate:
If you have not applied for a "HIPAA Extension" by day's end on Tuesday,

October 15, 2002, your business and profession could experience a major

setback. The application takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete. It is online

at https://www.cms.hhs.gov/hipaa/hipaa2/TCSForm1.asp
In a meeting late last week, the Office of the Secretary of the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) advised several of my

associates and me to immediately contact you about this. Your submitting an

"Electronic Transaction and Code Sets Compliance Extension Plan" (HIPAA

Extension) is essential because the Office of the Secretary has taken a

special interest in ABCcodes. I will explain more about that in my next

communication. For now, just know that-under a proposed national

demonstration project-ABCcodes could begin to support widespread

reimbursement of alternative medicine, nursing and other integrative

healthcare practices within the next 12 months.
According to HHS, your application for a HIPAA extension will give you the

greatest possible flexibility in taking advantage of ABCcodes (not to

mention the two other new code sets HHS is considering under HIPAA). HHS

and most HIPAA experts believe the extension offers other advantages, as

well (far too many to list here). You can find these benefits by searching

the Internet for "benefits of HIPAA extension."
For now, you need only know the following to apply for the extension:

Your business name, address, telephone number and tax ID number (or your

social security number).

The name of (and contact information for) an individual in your business who

is already (or is willing to become) the point person for HIPAA compliance.

The dates on which HIPAA "transaction and code set" compliance efforts were

initiated in your business (if they have been initiated) and how much longer

your business might need to finish complying with HIPAA requirements. (Don'

t worry. You're allowed to make an educated guess!)
HHS wants to ensure that you are in the best possible position to gain an

appropriate voice in

U.S. healthcare and appropriate payment for the health-promoting and

cost-effective services you provide. This application will help!
My associates and I are making ourselves available to support you in

completing the application. At the same time, we ask that you please keep

in mind that tens of thousands of individuals and organizations may have

waited until now to take this critical action. For this reason, we suggest

you approach this in steps. First, try working through the online

application, to see if you can complete it without any outside assistance.

Second, if that is too difficult, try reaching HHS at 877-267-2323 (press

"3"). They're focused on this effort, too, and have many more personnel

available to help. Third, if neither of those options works for you (and if

you don't have a HIPAA compliance expert available to you), please call our

Albuquerque headquarters (505-875-0001) or our Washington DC office

(202-737-0752). We will do everything we can to support you!
Sincerely,
Melinna Giannini

Founder and President, Alternative Link

Board Member, The Foundation for Integrative Healthcare
(You may forward this to your constituents.)
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