If only EDI had been around when they were trying to build the Tower of Babel; translating data from one party to the next would have been that much easier. Conveniently, EDI is around today. Some say that its goals are loftier than, say, building that stairway to heaven.
With the federal government breathing down their necks, health insurers and providers are trying to communicate with one another during the claims process. EDI (electronic data interchange) is the tool of choice for both sides.
With fewer than 15 months to go before the two sides must reach what the federal government calls "administrative simplification," many payers (health insurers) and providers (hospitals, physicians, etc.) are approaching the deadline with a sense of dread-much like the rest of the world when Jan. 1, 2000 rolled around. Obviously, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) passed in 1997 won't get the wide-ranging exposure that Y2K received, but it will probably have more of an impact on American lives than Y2K ever did.
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