[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 23 (Thursday, February 4, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5667-5668]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-2632]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration
[HCFA-0001-N]


Medicare Program; Year 2000 Readiness Letter

AGENCY: Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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    The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) recently mailed the 
following letter to over a million of its health care partners and 
provider related associations regarding the Y2K issue. The message is 
that HCFA will be ready to process and pay all acceptable claims by 
January 1, 2000 and that providers must take steps to ensure their own 
readiness in order to be paid promptly. Further, the Y2K problem has 
implications for patient care. Providers should take steps to assure 
that beneficiaries receive the same quality of care that is provided to 
them today. The letter includes a checklist that providers can use as a 
tool to assess their Y2K readiness.
    Medicare providers were to begin submitting claims with 8-digit 
date formats no later than January 1, 1999. However, it was recognized 
that many providers needed additional time to modify and test their own 
billing systems and, therefore, claims without 8-digit date formats 
would continue to be accepted until further notice by HCFA. On January 
13, 1999, we notified Medicare contractors that, beginning April 5, 
1999, claims will be returned to providers if they are not submitted in 
the Y2K format. To assist providers with Y2K readiness efforts, 
Medicare contractors offer free or minimal cost Y2K compliant billing 
software. Changing formats and using appropriately modified billing 
software are just two of the important steps that providers must take 
to assure that they are ready for the Year 2000.
    The letter to health care partners is part of an extensive outreach 
effort being conducted by HCFA to promote Y2K self-assessment and 
readiness among all providers engaged in delivering health care 
services to beneficiaries of Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's 
Health Insurance Programs. HCFA has assumed a lead role in addressing 
Y2K readiness in the health care sector and holds regular meetings and 
discussions with a variety of industry groups. HCFA has strongly 
encouraged health care industry associations to accelerate efforts to 
assess the readiness of their provider members and to foster 
remediation initiatives.
    In addition to this letter to providers and the resource 
information on its web site, www.hcfa.gov, HCFA has established a Y2K 
Speakers Bureau and is prepared to make speakers available to health 
care provider organizations that wish more detailed information about 
Y2K readiness and the implications of the millennium change for the 
industry.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joe Broseker 410-786-1950 or Anita 
Shalit 202-690-7179.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.778, Medical 
Assistance Program)

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.773, 
Medicare--Hospital Insurance; and Program No. 93.774, Medicare--
Supplementary Medical Insurance Program)

    Dated: January 28, 1999.
Nancy-Ann Min DeParle,
Administrator, Health Care Financing Administration.
January 12, 1999.
Dear Health Care Partner:
    You have probably heard about the Year 2000 computer problem, or 
the ``Y2K bug.'' As a health care practitioner or institution, you 
need to be aware of how Y2K affects you and your patients. We all 
must do our part so that Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries 
continue to receive high quality care, and you or your institution 
continue to be paid accurately and promptly.
    The Year 2000 problem appears simple on the surface. Many 
computers and devices use only six digits to record dates. They may 
read 01-01-00 as January 1, 1900, rather than January 1, 2000. 
Patient care services, systems, and devices that rely on dates, the 
age of the patient, and other calculations could be severely 
affected if corrections are not made in time.
    Every business and organization that relies on computer systems 
or devices must address Y2K. For all of us in the health care 
industry, it is a patient care issue as well as a business and 
technical problem. As Administrator of the Health Care Financing 
Administration (HCFA), I need to make sure you are aware of some key 
points:
     HCFA will be ready to process acceptable claims. We 
have made substantial progress in correcting our own systems in 
recent months and, despite earlier concerns, we will be ready on 
time. We are confident that all Medicare claims processes will be 
ready and able to function come January 1, 2000, so that you can be 
paid promptly.
     You must also be ready if you wish to be paid 
promptly. We can process your claims only if your systems are also 
able to function in the Year 2000. It is URGENT that you act NOW so 
your systems will be ready. Otherwise, you may not be able to 
receive prompt payment from Medicare, Medicaid, and virtually any 
other payer.
     Your entire practice and facility must be ready. The 
Y2K problem could impact quality of care and patient safety. Patient 
management systems, clinical information systems, defibrillators and 
infusion pumps and other medical devices, even elevators and 
security systems all must be ready.
    We want to help you prepare for the Year 2000. Enclosed is a 
``Sample Provider Y2K Readiness Checklist'' which you can use to 
assess what you need to do. You can find additional useful 
information at our www.hcfa.gov/Y2K web site. Information on medical 
devices is available on the Food and Drug Administration's 
www.fda.gov/cdrh/yr2000/year2000.html web site.
    We are confident that HCFA will be ready, but we are also making 
contingency plans so we can continue operations if unexpected 
problems occur. For those of you that rely on computer systems, we 
believe the greatest risk is that your systems will not be able to 
bill for services.
    You need to make sure you will be ready for the Year 2000. And, 
like us, you need to make contingency plans for your critical 
operations. These should focus especially on assuring safety for 
your patients who are reliant on equipment and devices containing 
embedded chips. In addition, you need to assure your ability to 
generate bills and manage accounts receivables, and assure essential 
services and supplies are maintained. Your patients and your 
business may depend on this.

[[Page 5668]]

    What can you do to avoid potential Y2K pitfalls? There are key 
steps you can take to become Y2K ready:
    Become aware of how the Year 2000 can affect your systems. 
Anything that depends on a microchip or date entry could be 
affected. Don't forget to identify those organizations that you 
depend on or who depend on you. List everything and identify your 
mission critical items, namely, those you cannot live without.
    Assess the readiness of everything on your list. You can do this 
by contacting your hardware or software vendors or accessing key 
information from various web sites. Don't forget your maintenance 
and service contractors. If your particular software program or form 
is not Y2K ready, you need to decide whether you should invest in an 
upgrade or replacement.
    Update or replace systems, software programs, and devices you 
decide are critical for your business continuity.
    Test your existing and newly purchased systems and software. Do 
not assume that a system or a program is Y2K ready just because 
someone said it is. Test to make sure. During this process, keep 
track of your test plans and outputs in case a problem surfaces 
later. If you are not already using compliant electronic claim 
formats, consider testing your electronic data interchanges (EDI) 
with one or more of your payers, including Medicare. This will 
ensure that your payer can accept your EDI transactions, especially 
claims. Medicare can now accept claims with eight digit date 
formats.
    Develop business contingency (continuity) plans in the event 
something goes wrong. Focus on the things that would be most 
problematic for you and your patients.
    The enclosed checklist may also be helpful. It is only meant to 
be a guide and should not be considered all-inclusive.
    Medicare beneficiaries are counting on all of us to meet the 
Year 2000 challenge. We will be ready. Now you need to do your part 
to be sure that you will continue to be paid as beneficiaries are 
assured that they will continue to receive the health care they have 
come to depend on.
      Sincerely,
Nancy-Ann Min DeParle
Enclosure

Enclosure

Sample Provider Y2K Readiness Checklist

    Please note: This checklist is intended as a supplemental guide 
in helping you determine your Y2K readiness. Consider using this 
along with other diagnostic and reference tools you have obtained 
for this venture. The purpose of this checklist is to aid you in 
determining your Y2K readiness. This information is not intended to 
be all inclusive. The Health Care Financing Administration will not 
assume any responsibility for your Y2K compliance.

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            Item                    Y2K ready           Not Y2K ready
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Bank debit/credit card
 expiration dates.
Banking interface...........
Building access cards.......
Claim forms and other forms.
Clocks......................
Computer hardware (list)....
Computer software (list)....
Custom applications (list)..
Diagnostic equipment (list).
Elevators...................
Fire alarm..................
Insurance/pharmacy coverage
 dates.
Membership cards............
Medical Devices (list)......
Monitoring equipment (list).
Smoke alarm.................
Telephone system............
Spreadsheets................
Treatment equipment (list)..
Safety vaults...............
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[FR Doc. 99-2632 Filed 2-3-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P