A new Provider Inquiry and Response (274) Implementation Guide --
004050X185 -- has recently been developed by X12N/TG2/WG15; which is the
Provider Information work group within the Health Care task group of the
Insurance Subcommittee of Accredited Standards Committee X12.

This Provider Inquiry and Response Implementation Guide will be
available for download, review, and public comments starting on 24 April
2005. Public comments will be accepted through 8:00 pm Eastern time on
Tuesday, 24 May 2005.

The purpose of the 004050X185 Implementation Guide is:
· To acquire provider information such as demographics, contact
information, specialty, language proficiency, and or site specific
information without having to receive, house or support complete
provider directory information. This transaction can also support the
acquisition or validation of the Healthcare National Provider Identifier
(NPI).
· The information supported within the response transaction could be
used for patient referrals, contact information for provider
consultation, validation of the NPI prior to claims submission, provider
enrollment and/or credentialing processes.

The authors of this guide will consider all comments following the
public comment period. Official work group responses will be posted to
the on-line conference at least 15 days prior to the corresponding
Informational Forum. This is X12's only unconstrained public comment
period. For a complete understanding of changes being suggested and/or
made to the guide, reviewers should monitor the on-line conference
during the public comment period and consider all author responses prior
to the Informational Forum.

An announcement of the corresponding Informational Forum will be made
later. The Informational Forum, held during an X12 Trimester Meeting,
probably the one during the first full week of June, 2005, [see
http://x12.org/x12org/meetings/x12trimt/index.cfm ], is the final X12
opportunity to comment: but only on modifications based on the received
public comments. After that, the guide is finalized for movement
through the Insurance Subcommittee (X12N) publication approval
processes.

Starting on 24 April, the draft Implementation Guide will be available
for free download at: http://www.wpc-edi.com/publications/x185 .
Comments on the draft can be submitted starting on 24 April by anybody
via the on-line conference at:
http://www.wpc-edi.com/conferences/healthcare.html .

Note that this new Implementation Guide is written for version 004050 of
X12's transaction standards! This IG is also not a counterpart of any
that have been adopted under HIPAA, and no official discussions
regarding any such adoption have been held. A factor in such
discussions, should they be initiated, will be any comments received.
Voluntary use, once this IG is published, is, of course, permissible at
any time based on negotiated agreements between willing trading
partners. HIPAA is a floor, not a ceiling!

Participation in the public comment period is open to all who may be
interested; whether or not an X12 member. Please participate -- this
is the highest leverage opportunity for anybody outside of the authors
to impact this document.

Dave Feinberg
Co-chair, HIPAA Implementation Work Group
Insurance Subcommittee (X12N)
Accredited Standards Committee X12
Rensis Corporation [A Consulting Company]
206-617-1717
DAFeinberg@...