Jeff Bingaman: “on December 12, 2001, the Senate passed the Administrative Simplification Compliance Act, by unanimous consent. As the…”

“on December 12, 2001, the Senate passed the Administrative Simplification Compliance Act, by unanimous consent. As the title states, this is a bill about compliance with the ``Administrative Simplification Act'' and not a proposal to delay enforcement of it. This bill permits healthcare organizations, health plans, providers and clearinghouses, which cannot meet the current deadline for compliance with the transactions and code sets rule, to seek and obtain a one-year delay. Such flexibility was necessary due to the complexity and novel nature of the changes mandated under the Administrative Simplification Act. At the same time, certain provisions were built into the rule to allay concerns that entitles that request the delay may merely continue to avoid preparing for compliance. The first of the provisions designed to provide compliance impetus is the requirement to submit a plan no later than October 16, 2002, stating, among other things, how the covered entity will come into compliance by October 16, 2003.”