The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) established the foundation of Transactions, Code Sets, and Identifiers (TCS&I) to improve the efficiency of electronic health transactions and effectiveness of administration in the health care industry. HIPAA required the adoption of national uniform standards for the electronic transmission of certain health information. These mandates apply to all HIPAA covered entities, including TRICARE. TRICARE is a HIPAA covered entity as a health care provider through Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) and as a payer through TRICARE Health Plan. 

The DHA established the HIPAA TCS&I Office to facilitate the implementation of HIPAA adopted TCS&I legislation to ensure compliance and further administrative simplification within the MHS. HIPAA adopted initiatives generally include a Notice for Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), which has a process of taking public comment. The HIPAA TCS&I Office facilitates DHA's review of HIPAA TCS&I NPRMs, and continues to monitor through publishing of a Final Rule, and initiates related actions within the MHS. Use the HIPAA TCS&I Timeline to see the initiatives which have been or are scheduled to be implemented. 

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as ACA) was signed and enacted March 2010. Some elements of the ACA include previous Administrative Simplification provisions from and build onto HIPAA of 1996 to establish more uniform standards and requirements for the electronic transmission of certain health information and reduce the clerical burden on patients, health care providers, and health plans. The following are some ACA provisions the HIPAA TCS&I Office worked to implement on behalf of the MHS: 

• MHS Transition to Using ICD-10
• Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and Remittance Advice (RA) Standards
• Transaction Operating Rules