Which statement correctly identifies which agency administers HIPAA standards?

• A. A federal regulatory agency overseeing privacy.
• B. An organization founded in 2004 to certify EHRs with capabilities definitions.
• C. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
• D. A clinical trials registry.

Answer: (C)

HIPAA establishes standardized electronic transactions, code sets, and identifiers to simplify and protect health information exchanges. The agency charged with implementing and overseeing these transactional standards is the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS handles the HIPAA transaction standards (like standardized claims and eligibility formats) and the use of national provider identifiers, aligning Medicare and Medicaid processes with HIPAA rules. It’s true that HIPAA privacy and security are enforced by a separate part of the Department of Health and Human Services (the Office for Civil Rights), but the administration and oversight of the HIPAA standards for electronic transactions and code sets fall under CMS. The other options don’t fit because they don’t specifically govern these HIPAA transactional standards (a vague federal regulator, an EHR certification organization, or a clinical trials registry).