Feds stake a claim on standards

One of the biggest challenges facing managed care organizations in the wake of The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 is the lack of standards in the area of electronic claims. Administrative simplification--the federal government's plan to improve the transmission of medical data through the use of information technology--is putting pressure on payors, providers and vendors to come up with a standard set of rules before they begin to address other requirements of the new legislation. Article by Charlene Marietti.