Health Plan Identifier Requirement Delayed Indefinitely by HHS

The Department of Health & Human Services (“HHS”) announced that the requirement for “controlling health plans” (generally speaking, large self-insured health plans) to obtain and begin using an HPID by November 5, 2014 has been delayed until further notice.

This delay is the result of a recommendation by the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics to HHS that HPIDs not be used in HIPAA transactions. Administrators of “controlling health plans” should discontinue the HPID application process and await further word from HHS. For those “controlling health plans” that have already obtained an HPID, they should maintain a record of the obtained HPID, but refrain from using the HPID until further guidance is issued.
 
If you have any questions about the subject matter of this e-alert or about health care reform in general, please contact Kristi Gauthier at kgauthier@clarkhill.com | (480) 684-1300; Ed Hammond at ehammond@clarkhill.com | (248) 988-1821; Nancy Farnam at nfarnam@clarkhill.com | (248) 530-6333; or Doug Ellis at dellis@clarkhill.com | (412) 394-2367.