The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced how the agency plans to enforce compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)'s transactions and code sets provisions. Covered entities have until October 16, 2003, to comply with the provisions.

The agency said it will use a complaint-driven process to enforce the provisions and plans to use voluntary compliance. The CMS paper also said it would not impose penalties on covered entities that have made “reasonable and diligent efforts” to become compliant.

For more information, go to www.cms.hhs.gov/hipaa/hipaa2/guidance-final.pdf