The Enforcement Discretion Period Ends

All covered entities should have completed testing and transitioning to the ASC X12 005010 and NCPDP D.0 versions for all covered electronic transactions. June 30, 2012 marked the end of the enforcement discretion period permitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CMS encourages any covered entity who continues to have issues with the exchange of compliant transactions to file a complaint with the Office of eHealth Standards and Services (OESS). OESS will work to obtain voluntary compliance and to increase successful use of the electronic standards. The enforcement process typically includes an evaluation of the situation, identification of a mutually agreeable corrective action plan and timeline, and regular monitoring until the corrective action is complete.

To file a complaint or request technical assistance, use the Administrative Simplification Enforcement Tool (ASET) at: https://htct.hhs.gov/aset or visit the CMS website at www.cms.hhs.gov and find more information under Regulations and Guidance. The login and registration process are fairly simple. Once in the system, provide as much information as possible, including accurate contact information for the individuals at each organization so that OESS can contact the right parties to obtain details and facts and begin to address the issues.