Update on HIPAA Compliance

National Provider Identifier (NPI) – Compliance Date May 23, 2007

March, 2007 to May, 2007
Delta Dental completed testing with its current trading partners and began receiving NPI’s electronically in advance of the HIPAA compliance date. Currently, we are processing under the dual use scenario utilizing our internal cross-reference table from the NPI to legacy ID numbers. We continue to encourage those providers who have not yet applied for an NPI to obtain and share their NPI (s) with Delta Dental as soon as possible.

Prior Project Phases:
January, 2007 to March, 2007
Delta Dental continued testing with its trading partners, including clearinghouses. Follow-up provider communications continued to be disseminated. Final internal staff training was completed. NPIs were loaded into our NPI provider database as they were received. Delta Dental planned to begin processing using the NPIs in advance of the compliance date.

August, 2006 to December, 2006
In this phase, Delta Dental completed the internal coding and testing of its NPI solution, began testing electronic transactions with trading partners (providers and clearinghouses), moved our NPI provider database into production and, began loading NPIs into the system. Communications with Providers continued. Providers were encouraged to obtain and communicate their NPIs. The first line training was also completed.

March 2006 to July 2006 completed the systems design solutions and began outreach communications to providers.
February 2005 to February 2006 used the impact assessment documentation to define the business requirements for systems design solutions and began preparations for implementation.
July 2004 to February 2005 completed the enterprise assessment of the NPI’s impact to Delta Dental’s systems and operations.

Security – Compliance Date April 20, 2005

Delta Dental has completed implementation of the standards and implementation specifications of the security rule, as applicable to its operations.

Delta Dental completed it efforts to:

• Implement applicable administrative, technical and physical safeguards.
• Deploy new and modified enterprise policies and global and desk level security procedures.
• Secure signed revised business associate agreements, as applicable.
• Conducted required enterprise awareness training.

Standard Unique Employer Identifier– Compliance Date July 31, 2004

Delta Dental systems and operations were positioned to receive and transmit this identifier as of October 16, 2003.

Transactions and Code Sets – Compliance Date October 16, 2003

Delta Dental has achieved compliance with the Transactions and Code set rule and is accepting and processing HIPAA-mandated electronic transactions and code sets required for dental claims administration.

Provider transactions have been implemented with Delta Dental’s clearinghouse trading partners. Contract purchaser transactions for Enrollment (834) and Premium Payment (820) are implemented, and the 834 transaction is in use with a number of Delta Dental customers. If you would like to discuss testing and implementations of one or both of these transactions, please contact your Delta Dental Client Services Technical Analyst.

Current Dental Terminology (CDT) Procedure Code Updates

Delta Dental has established procedures for updating its systems to accommodate each new version of CDT codes. In addition, Delta Dental continues with its educational provider outreach efforts to support new and ongoing changes to code sets and nomenclature as issued.

Privacy Rule – Compliance Date April 14, 2003

Delta Dental has completed documentation, implementation and training on policies and procedures. Delta Dental has also distributed its Notice of Privacy Practices via contract purchasers to members and makes it available on the Delta Dental website. Delta Dental executed business associate agreements with purchasers, brokers, vendors and third parties with whom it shares protected health information necessary for the administration of the dental programs.