Health Plan Identifier and Other Entity Identifier Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces the December 19, 2018, Federal Register publication of the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) CMS-0054-P pertaining to the Administrative Simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). This NPRM proposes to modify 45 CFR 162.103 and repeal 45 CFR 162.502-514 to eliminate the regulatory requirement for health plans to obtain and use a Health Plan Identifier (HPID), as well as eliminate the voluntary acquisition and use of the Other Entity Identifier (OEID).  The proposed rule would also simplify the process for terminating the existing identifiers to minimize operational costs for covered entities. 

There is a 60-day public comment period for this rule, which closes on February 19, 2019.  We encourage our stakeholders to read this proposed rule and submit comments, as these will assist us in preparing the final rule.  During the comment period, and until a final rule is published, the enforcement discretion remains in effect for all covered entities. 

Read the full Information Bulletin on the Go-to-Info page for more information.