Comment: We received several comments suggesting that HHS consider petitioning the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) to include Versions 5010 or D.0 in all products that would be expected to carry the upgraded standards in order to facilitate compliance with the final rule. Commenters believe this will be especially important for small covered entities in the process of purchasing software until the compliance date. They believe that, if purchasers are aware of the need to buy products that are certified to meet the incoming HIPAA requirements, conversion might be smoother and less expensive.

Response: Generally, CCHIT does not certify products for administrative transactions, and therefore we will not pursue this suggestion. Furthermore, HHS does not recognize certification of any systems or software for purposes of HIPAA compliance. pg. 10