The following entry was posted to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Regulatory Review web site as of 7/11/2008.

AGENCY: HHS-CMS RIN: 0938-AN25
TITLE: Revisions to HIPAA Code Sets (CMS-0013-P)
STAGE: Proposed Rule ECONOMICALLY SIGNIFICANT: Yes
RECEIVED DATE: 07/11/2008 LEGAL DEADLINE: None
ABSTRACT: This proposed rule would revise some of the adopted
transaction and code set standards detailed in regulations published by
HHS on August 17, 2000 and February 20, 2003.

Note that this NPRM is the result of a Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
Section 610 review. RFA §610 "requires federal agencies to review
regulations that have a significant economic impact on a substantial
number of small entities within 10 years of their adoption as final
rules. These periodic rule reviews are a mechanism for agencies to
assess the impact of existing rules on small entities and to determine
whether the rules should be continued without change, or should be
amended or rescinded, consistent with the objectives of applicable
statutes." { http://www.sba.gov/advo/r3/r3_section610.pdf }

The significance of this posting is that, if OMB approves the materials
under review using it's typical process and without any need for
significant modifications, a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) would
be published in the Federal Register in approximately three months.

Dave Feinberg
Rensis Corporation [A Consulting Company]
206-617-1717
DAFeinberg@...
Author of "Understanding HIPAA Communications"