Another updated Provider Inquiry and Response (274) draft Implementation
Guide (IG) is available for public review and comment as a key step in
its Insurance Subcommittee (X12N) IG publication process. This is a
newer iteration of the IG previously made available for public comment
in April and again in August, 2005, and this present IG completely
replaces those earlier editions.

The public comment period for the updated IG commenced on 11 January
2006 and will close on Sunday, 12 March 2006, at 8:00 pm Eastern time.

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. Also considered will be comments received during
the August, 2005, public comment period. Official work group responses
for both sets 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 this edition. 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, 2006, [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 X12N publication approval process.

The updated draft Implementation Guide is available for free download
at: http://www.wpc-edi.com/products/publications/x185 . Comments on the
draft can be submitted by anybody -- X12 member or not -- via the
on-line conference at:
http://www.wpc-edi.com/conferences/tg2/implementationguides .

Note that this further updated 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@...