Editors: Raymond D. Aller, MD & Dennis Winsten
CMS releases standards for electronic health care claims documentation
May 2026—The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued a final rule that establishes HIPAA standards for electronic health care claims attachments.
The Administrative Simplification; Adoption of Standards for Health Care Claims Attachments Transactions and Electronic Signatures Final Rule (CMS-0053-F) allows the secure electronic exchange of health care claims-related supporting clinical documentation, including laboratory test results, medical records, imaging, clinical notes, and telemedicine visit documentation. The intent of the regulation is to reduce reliance on manual processes that involve paper mail, fax, and phone, according to CMS.
The regulation, which was developed with input from industry stakeholders and is slated to take effect this month, adopts X12N standards and Health Level 7 implementation guides for electronic health care claims attachment transactions. The standards adopted in the rule apply to HIPAA-covered entities, such as health care providers that conduct electronic transactions, health plans, and health care clearinghouses.
The regulation also adopts standards for electronic signatures to be used in conjunction with health care claims attachment transactions.
CMS touts the final rule for its ability to help the health care industry by generating significant cost savings, reducing administrative burden, accelerating claims processing and decision-making, enhancing security, and streamlining workflows.
Unlike the proposed rule, the final rule does not include standards for prior authorization attachments. “The Department of Health and Human Services [HHS] will continue evaluating alternative standards for prior authorization attachments currently being tested by the industry,” CMS reported.
The compliance deadline for the regulation is May 26, 2028. The final rule can be accessed at www.federalregister.gov.
Sakura Finetek and Hamamatsu announce global alliance
Sakura Finetek Global and Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. have created an alliance that brings together Sakura’s slide-preparation technology with Hamamatsu’s digital pathology offerings to strengthen the link between slide preparation and digital review.
The objectives of the collaboration include aligning workflow between slide-preparation steps and digital scanning to help reduce rework, rescans, and delays; jointly engaging customers to help laboratories evaluate and design end-to-end workflows from histology through digital review; and sharing educational resources that highlight best practices for scan-ready slide production and whole slide imaging.
“This partnership with Sakura Finetek reinforces a ‘one complete workflow’ mindset, supporting consistent slide preparation and clear imaging,” said Naofumi Toriyama, managing executive officer and chief of sales general headquarters, Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., in a company press release.
Sakura Finetek, 800-725-8723
Telcor purchases Sample Healthcare
Telcor has acquired Sample Healthcare, provider of an artificial intelligence platform for executing revenue cycle and clinical operations workflows, including prior authorizations, appeals, payer follow-up, and document processing.
“Partnering with Telcor gives us the reach to put [AI] technology in front of the thousands of labs and providers who need it most,” said Sample Health-
care cofounder and CEO Ankit Ranjan, in a press statement.
Customers can deploy the Sample platform as a standalone offering or as part of Telcor’s revenue cycle management system.
Telcor, 866-489-1207