 December 2002 • Volume 8 • Number 12 |
To the editor:
In regard to your October article "Flu Vaccine Flowing; Now What About Prioritization?" -- I would like to comment that it is sad to hear that our specialty thinks it important to express anger about chain stores supplying the flu shot. Isn't our priority simply to ensure that the public is protected from disease? Is our economy so fragile that we would covet those who help prevent disease? It seems to me that this is really misdirected anger toward these opportunistic chain stores, when the real problem is that our specialty has become relegated to a large degree in the same category of other "providers." We should be focusing our anger on the politicians who allow such a chaotic health care system to exist at the expense of excluding many individuals because they don't fit some sort of risk profile of insurability.
In short, such misdirected anger only perpetuates the health care crisis and gives the perception that we would like to be the ones who charge! What a shame.
Joseph Behal, M.D.
Syracuse, Kan.
To the editor:
Thanks for the October article on HIPAA; we were able to file for our extension well in advance of the Oct. 15 deadline.
In discussing the matter with my office staff, I learned that a videotape on HIPAA was mailed by the Centers for Medicare & Mediciad Services to a physician's assistant in my office who died two years ago. The physician's assistant was the only provider in our office of seven doctors and three extenders who received the videotape. I find this to be an interesting commentary on CMS' poor organization.
I also find it interesting that in order to come into compliance, physicians need feedback from CMS as to whether their electronic billings are proper. CMS has established a standard that cannot be verified, and therefore, physicians must apply for an extension. However, CMS does not notify physicians that they have to get an extension, but if they do not get the extension, they will lose Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, yet there is no way to verify compliance.
CMS' concern over the low response rate should be a concern over its own incompetence.
Jerald Malone, M.D.
Las Vegas
|
To the reader Write us a letter of 200 words or fewer (subject to editing). FP Report, 11400 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Leawood, KS 66211-2672; fax them to (913) 906-6089; call (800) 274-2237, Ext. 5230; or contact fpreport@aafp.org via e-mail. |
To the editor:
I think AAFP has been quite delinquent in getting the word out that small offices don't have to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. You have relied too much on "experts" who profit by selling HIPAA compliance and have spent too little effort on truly serving your membership.
Also, you have not provided data on the portion of family physicians who still use some or all paper claims (which could be a substantial portion of the membership). For myself, I bill less than 30 percent of claims electronically, and it was quite easy to step back to 0 percent.
Shame on my organization for selling us all up the river on this one!
Laurence Marsteller, M.D.
Tucson, Ariz.
Editor's note: Physician practices that do not electronically exchange, directly or indirectly, information related to any of the eight transactions listed in the HIPAA statute (e.g., billing) are not currently required to comply with the HIPAA statutes and regulations, regardless of practice size or location. The AAFP recognizes its responsibility to provide this information to members so they can make informed decisions. However, the Academy strongly supports FPs' adoption of information technology as a long-term strategy to improve patient care and to reduce administrative overhead. The Academy also recognizes the financial burden of complying with HIPAA's unfunded mandate. Updated HIPAA compliance information, including a discussion of who is a "covered entity," is available under "Got Questions?" at http://www.aafp.org/hipaa.xml.
FP Report is published by the
AAFP News Department.
Copyright © 2002 by
American Academy of Family Physicians.