The  Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC) and the  Healthcare Billing & Management Association (HBMA), announced today a collaboration to accredit medical billers in the areas of privacy, security, confidentiality, cyber security, business best practices, and technical operations.

Through this partnership, EHNAC and HBMA will jointly offer the  Healthcare Network Accreditation Program (HNAP) for Medical Billers, which includes exclusive discounts to HBMA member organizations. The medical biller accreditation reviews compliance with all HIPAA, HITECH Omnibus Rule, ARRA and ACA legislative provisions, as well as risk mitigation policies, procedures and controls to significantly reduce the risk of breach, incident, or cybercrime. The program is designed for companies that handle sensitive data as part of their coding, billing, and other services on behalf of provider organizations including physician practices and hospitals, as well as health systems, labs, and other types of healthcare organizations.

"As the recognized leader in advocacy for medical billers, the Healthcare Billing and Management Association is the perfect partner for us to promote accreditation for this sector," said EHNAC Executive Director Lee Barrett. "With a vast membership base of the nation's most prominent billing companies, the HBMA is on the pulse of the market's driving forces and we look forward to providing their accredited medical billers with the industry's seal of approval.'"

HBMA members applying for HNAP Medical Biller will receive a one-time discount for the accreditation process. Applications will be discounted $400 for entities with less than $75 million in healthcare-related revenues annually, and $600 for entities with more than $75 million in healthcare-related revenues annually.

HBMA President Curtis L. Cvikota, CHBME added: "HNAP Medical Biller provides HBMA members with a unique competitive advantage in the industry. The comprehensive, third-party review and verification of privacy standards, security procedures and operational functions helps medical billers raise the level of trust they share with provider customers."

For more information on EHNAC's HNAP Medical Biller accreditation, visit the  program page.

About EHNAC
 The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC) is a voluntary, self-governing standards development organization (SDO) established to develop standard criteria and accredit organizations that electronically exchange healthcare data. These entities include accountable care organizations, data registries, electronic health networks, EPCS vendors, eprescribing solution providers, financial services firms, health information exchanges, health information service providers, management service organizations, medical billers, outsourced service providers, payers, practice management system vendors and third-party administrators.

EHNAC was founded in 1993 and is a tax-exempt 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization. Guided by peer evaluation, the EHNAC accreditation process promotes quality service, innovation, cooperation and open competition in healthcare. To learn more, visit  www.ehnac.org, contact info@ehnac.org, or follow us on  Twitter,  LinkedIn and  YouTube.

About HBMA
 HBMA works with legislative stakeholders and federal agencies in Washington, D.C. to improve the business of medical billing and the practice of healthcare. HBMA is a non-profit, member-led trade association. Since its inception in 1993, HBMA and its members have encouraged personal development and adherence to the HBMA Code of Ethics, advocated on behalf of the profession, and promoted business development through a wide range of affiliated vendor resources, educational events, networking opportunities and certification programs. For more information about HBMA, visit  www.hbma.org.