NAACOS Submits Recommendations for Acknowledging ACOs in HIPAA Rules

In response to a Request for Information on Modifying Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act's (HIPAA's) Rules to Improve Coordinated Care, the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations (NAACOS) has submitted comments aimed at acknowledging the growing presence of ACOs. These recommendations include modifying definitions of treatment, payment, and healthcare operations to include ACOs; aligning HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 in order to improve both the quality and safety of care; and giving ACOs access to HIPAA Eligibility Transaction System feeds.

According to NAACOS, while HHS should make small tweaks to include the growing importance of ACOs, it should be cautious of wholesale changes. See the full comments.