Byron Dorgan: “Last evening the Senate passed S. 1684, my legislation to provide 1 additional year that was much needed for States…”

“Last evening the Senate passed S. 1684, my legislation to provide 1 additional year that was much needed for States, health plans, and health care providers to comply with the transactions and code sets regulation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. We needed an additional year in order to implement that. This legislation has been difficult to get passed, but I thank my colleague, Senator Craig, especially, and Senators Baucus, Grassley, and Kennedy, for working with me to reach a compromise on this legislation. Senator Craig and I would prefer this bill go further in providing a bit more time in coordination with the effected entities, but we recognize others would have preferred no action at all. We worked for many months to try to reach a compromise. This compromise is appropriate. I am still a strong supporter of the Administrative Simplification Act, which is the concept of what is called HIPAA. Ultimately having all the regulations in place will allow our health care system to be better coordinated and much more efficient. This bill provides an extra year to comply with part of these requirements with which we needed to have time to comply. It doesn't in any way affect the implementation of the medical privacy regulations by April 2003.”