NOTICE: OASIS up and running

[Twila <twila@cchc-mn.org>]

On JULY 19, home health agencies began collecting personal, demographical,
educational, medical, psychological, behavioral, relational, financial and
housing information for OASIS, the federal Outcome and Assessment
Information System, initialized in home health care and planned for all
managed care settings.

On AUGUST 24, 1999 all home health agencies must begin transmitting the
information--minus the financial data--to the federal government.

HCFA has authorized new "routine use" access for seven entities, stating
that enough public comment may cause them to "defer implementation" of data
distribution to these seven entities.

The HCFA Notice can be found in the Federal Register on June 18 under
Health Care Financing Administration.

Our public comments on their revised regulation (they had bypassed
adherence to the Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act in first edition)
can be found at http://www.cchc-mn.org/pcOASpriv.html

You can send your public comments on Docket Number [DOCID: fr18jn99-121] to:

Director,
Division of Data Liaison and Distribution
Health Care Financing Administration
Room N2-01-27
7500 Security Blvd.
Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850

Twila Brase, R.N.
President, CCHC
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Citizens' Council on Health Care
1954 University Ave. W., Suite 8
St. Paul, MN  55104
651-646-8935p
651-646-0100fx
http://www.cchc-mn.org
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