Re: Identifying / Coding Laboratory Results in
Electronic Claims Attachments

HL7's HIPAA-proposed identification / coding system for all detailed
computer decision variant laboratory results is the Logical Observation
Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC®) code set.

It would be a service to our industry if you and your colleagues
would take just a few minutes and respond to the following few questions
about your present and planned approach for using LOINC.

_____

(1) Does your organization currently use LOINC to identify / code
distinct laboratory results?
If "yes", the remainder of these questions are not applicable and
may be skipped.
_____

(2) How does your organization plan to initially generate and
long-term maintain LOINC laboratory result values for claims
attachments?
(a) Will convert our order entry, laboratory information /
instruments, results reporting, warehousing / archiving, adjudication,
payment, and other systems to exclusively use LOINC as a replacement for
the coding system currently used to identify distinct laboratory results
(b) Will use cross-walk table(s) between LOINC and the
coding system currently used to identify distinct laboratory results for
each applicable system
(c) Will rely on an interface engine, clearinghouse, or other
intermediary to cross-walk between LOINC and the coding system currently
used to identify distinct laboratory results
(d) Will use a combination or variations of the approaches noted
above.
_____

(3) If available, what is the estimated internal and vendor cost to
modify and maintain all the applicable computing systems to use LOINC
for identifying / coding distinct laboratory results in electronic
claims attachments?
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____


As one of the alternatives specified in the HIPAA Claims Attachments
Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), kindly submit your opinion to
www.cms.hhs.gov/regulations/ecomments . Click "Go" for CMS-0050-P,
fill in some minimal demographics on a screen, and then click
"Continue" to type up to 4,000 characters into the displayed comment
box ... and/or include a file as an attachment. If it's easiest, you
can just copy and paste the questions above into the comment box, and
then add your response following each. Or do the same in a file and
then attach the file to the comment box.

[Note: Due to currently ongoing maintenance activities on CMS' web
site, the above url may not take you directly to the comment inputs
screens. Should that be the situation, as described in the NPRM,
telephone Lorraine Tunis Doo at 410-786-6597 for further instructions.]

Please comment no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, 23
January 2006. Thanks in advance for your participation, and feel free
to forward this message to anybody else you believe would be interested
in opining.

Dave Feinberg
Rensis Corporation [A Consulting Company]
206-617-1717
DAFeinberg@...