It does require investment in resolving existing numbering problems within the SSA system. To ensure patient data confidentiality, it seems more appropriate to establish mechanisms that restrict access only to appropriate health information trustees. Cost savings achieved through administrative simplification should not be used to cover the astronomical cost of creating an elaborate new encrypted identifier system for the health care consumer. To paraphrase an old data processing joke, no matter how hard they try, nine women cannot deliver a whole baby in one month. However, adoption and implementation can't be achieved by simple governmental fiat.
Standards represent significant investments for the entire health care industry.
ECP members are at the front end of the health claims process. They collect patient information, diagnostic information and procedural information from the physician's office. The health claim information is transmitted electronically to one or more health care payers as indicated in the patient information. Lack of standardized code sets identifying the patient, the provider and the payer routinely result in health claims being rejected or denied by the payer, resulting in duplicate processing and increased costs in healthcare. The mess can be claims that are denied because of missing information from the provider or the patient.