NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 5, 2001 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the Microsoft® BizTalk™
Server Accelerator for HIPAA. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act mandates that the healthcare industry standardize its administrative processes to reduce paperwork and increase efficiency. By Oct. 16, 2002, all covered healthcare organizations will need to be able to submit and receive HIPAA-compliant transactions. Microsoft made the announcement at the 2001 Conference and Exhibition of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).
Microsoft, in conjunction with Washington Publishing Co. (WPC), domain expert and exclusive publisher of the HIPAA implementation guides, will offer the BizTalk Server Accelerator for HIPAA, which will help the healthcare industry build standards-based technology solutions and reduce the amount of time and money organizations need to spend to comply with HIPAA regulations. The set of resources will allow healthcare organizations affected by HIPAA to use the integration capabilities of BizTalk Server 2000, along with HIPAA resources provided by WPC, to automate business processes and quickly build integration solutions that will help them comply with federal law while leveraging existing IT investments.
“WPC is excited about this relationship and solution,”
said Lisa Miller, chief technical officer for WPC.
“The combination of Microsoft’s technical expertise and WPC’s position as publisher of the HIPAA Implementation Guides ensures that customers will have the clearest path to HIPAA compliance.”
With the Microsoft BizTalk Server Accelerator for HIPAA, healthcare organizations at all points along the care and payment spectrum can take advantage of efficiencies and cost-savings technologies developed specifically for meeting HIPAA standards. The interoperability of BizTalk Server 2000 with healthcare organizations’ legacy systems, combined with the BizTalk HIPAA schemas, will provide the healthcare industry with the tools it needs to meet this increasingly complex mandate.
“The Microsoft BizTalk Server Accelerator for HIPAA will allow healthcare providers and payers unparalleled productivity and cost effectiveness in meeting the federally mandated HIPAA requirements,”
said Davide Vigano, general manger of public sector and healthcare for Microsoft.
“The healthcare industry is squeezed between the Balanced Budget Act and the requirements of HIPAA. Microsoft’s technology is poised to save the industry millions of dollars that in turn can be allocated toward slowing the ever-increasing costs of healthcare.”
Partners and Customers
NDCHealth, a leading provider of health information systems and services that add value to business operations throughout the healthcare industry, intends to participate in the Microsoft BizTalk Server Accelerator for HIPAA Early Adopter Program.
“In the continually evolving healthcare environment, NDCHealth has a record of being at the industry’s forefront in anticipating customers’ changing needs and providing efficient solutions to meet their challenges,”
said Walter M. Hoff, chief executive officer of NDCHealth.
“For this reason, we will implement Microsoft BizTalk to speed new product development and application integration as healthcare businesses’ needs advance. We chose BizTalk for its powerful messaging architecture and advanced orchestration component. These features will provide customers with increased data-sharing capabilities, enabling them to further benefit from the advanced services and functionality of NDCHealth products. We are pleased to participate in this significant advance, which is an important step for NDCHealth toward providing a common architectural foundation unmatched in our industry.”
“We are very excited to work with Microsoft on this development,”
said Jeff Perry, national director, HIPAA services for Cap Gemini Ernst & Young.
“The Microsoft BizTalk Server Accelerator for HIPAA is a fantastic innovation, and it will be one of the primary integration tools that we will use to work with our clients toward meeting the HIPAA requirements.”
Healthaxis is a strategic industry partner in its use of BizTalk Server 2000. In the healthcare industry — where legacy systems are commonplace — the ability to translate data to and from multiple systems is key.
“We utilize the BizTalk technology to connect front-end Web interfaces with legacy applications at various insurance companies,”
said John Wall, vice president and chief technology officer with Healthaxis Inc.
“That’s the hub of what we’re doing when we’re connecting payers, brokers, providers, employers and consumers via Internet-enabled applications into back-end systems. The BizTalk Server functions as a good way to integrate data from a variety of sources.”
Other industry partners, such as Quality Care Systems Inc. (QCSI), Compaq Computer Corp., Avanade Inc., and Superior Consultant Holdings Corp. and its Digital Trust subsidiary ComTrust LLC, are also strong supporters of the Microsoft BizTalk Server Accelerator for HIPAA.
Availability
The Microsoft BizTalk Server Accelerator for HIPAA is expected to be released to manufacturing during the second quarter of 2001. Pricing of the BizTalk Server Accelerator for HIPAA is to be determined. More information on BizTalk Server 2000 can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/biztalk/ . More information on Microsoft in healthcare can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/business/health/ .
About HIPAA
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, which is part of the Administration Simplification Act of 1992, was published in the Federal Register and is the most significant federal mandate the healthcare industry has ever faced.
About BizTalk Server 2000
BizTalk Server 2000 unites in a single product enterprise application integration, business-to-business integration and business process orchestration technology to allow developers, IT professionals and business analysts to integrate applications, platforms and businesses over the Internet.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft and BizTalk are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
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