RelayHealth Achieves Early Compliance of NCPDP Telecommunications Standard D.0

Company takes lead completing R&D pharmacy e-claims testing and certification more than a year ahead of 2012 deadline

RelayHealth, a leading provider of healthcare connectivity services, and its Prospective Health Services business unit announced today that its retail pharmacy prescription transaction connectivity solutions meet compliance requirements of Version D.0 of the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) Telecommunication Standard. The updated version of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standard for electronic pharmacy claims transactions will become the industry format required by law effective Jan. 1, 2012. It replaces the current pharmacy claim standard, NCPDP Telecommunication Standard Version 5.1.

Billions of pharmacy claims are formatted using the universally accepted electronic data interchange standard for transmission and adjudication at the point of service. Version D.0 is the newest communication standard upgrade for retail pharmacies to conduct real-time claims processing.

"Starting in 2009, RelayHealth invested considerably in R&D to test and meet this government standard, and that work is now completed," said Jeff Felton, President of RelayHealth Pharmacy Solutions. "We're proud of the extraordinary commitment from our employees and the proactive engagement of our customers in validating the incremental changes, such as modifications to fields, throughout the entire comprehensive testing process. We stand ready to help all of our customers transition to the D.0 standard by the 2012 compliance date."

A RelayHealth customer of 11 years, SelectHealth is a managed care organization that offers pharmacy benefits to members through a network of more than 33,000 pharmacy locations nationwide. "Retail pharmacies, business partners and technology vendors must carry out a substantial amount of D.0 certification and testing to ensure their prescription transactions meet regulatory requirements." said SelectHealth Senior Business Analyst Joyce Canning, CPhT. "The fact that RelayHealth's Prospective Health Services took the lead to complete this complex testing process to attain compliance more than a year in advance is significant. My workload has suddenly become easier because of the value that RelayHealth brings to our partnership."

RelayHealth customer Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield appreciates that the Prospective Business Services business unit has them well-prepared to meet the new standard, long before deadlines require compliance. "Regence's ability to serve our members with prompt, accurate and timely claims payment is dependent upon RelayHealth's ability to prepare us for these changes," said David Clark, vice president of Pharmacy Services and president of RegenceRx. "The fact that they have prepared us well ahead of time is further proof of the value RelayHealth provides as a trusted partner. Their ability to meet the new standards ahead of the required deadlines instills the confidence Regence needs to continue serving our members with the high level of service they expect from us."

RelayHealth provides network and claims processing connectivity services that add value and efficiency to more than 90 percent of the nation's retail pharmacies. The company processes more than 70 percent of all retail pharmacy prescriptions, including Medicare Part D claims equivalent to nearly 11 billion pharmacy transactions annually. RelayHealth's claims editing services are performed before and after adjudication, and have saved retail pharmacies more than $2.3 billion in 2008.

About RelayHealth
RelayHealth, McKesson’s connectivity business, operates as a neutral partner in an open network environment, offering connectivity services and integration among all organizations, systems, and solutions. Its intelligent network is designed to streamline clinical, financial and administrative communication between patients, providers, payers, pharmacies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and financial institutions. RelayHealth works to accelerate the delivery of high-quality care and improve financial performance through solutions such as online consultation of physicians, electronic prescribing, point-of-service pharmacy claims resolution by payers. RelayHealth securely processes more than 12.8 billion financial and clinical transactions annually. For more information, call 888.743.8735, or visit our Web site at www.RelayHealth.com. Follow us on Twitter (@RelayHealth) or visit the RelayHealth Facebook page.

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