STORY:
Medicare Issues Y2K Warning

Doctors, hospitals, health-providers being warned of possible problems

Medicare is issuing a warning to all health care professionals to be prepared for billing problems related to the computer Y2K bug. Health care providers are barred by law from upfront billing of the Medicare patients and if there are billing problems, patients may not get paid.

The warning was prompted by government surveys that indicated many health-care providers aren't ready for the so-called Year 2000 computer problem according to the USA Today.

Fewer than half of the 1,924 caregivers responding to the survey reportedly said all of their biomedical equipment, such as X-ray machines and respirators, is Y2K ready. About two-thirds said their billing and record-keeping systems are ready. But one-third reportedly said they had not tested information exchanges with vendors or bill-processing contractors.

The health department, the Clinton administration's Y2K task force and congressional auditors previously have reportedly raised alarms that the medical industry may not be doing enough to address the computer glitch.

Source: USA Today

DATE: 10/7/99

For more E2000 stories, click here:
news | events | Y2K | today's news