June 23, 2009 – Remediation of the Health Claims for Auto Insurance (HCAI) system remains on schedule. This update identifies activities and timing of milestone events between now and the end of the program.
HCAI is being reintroduced using a quality review process at each implementation step. If success criteria are not met at a specific step, the schedule will be re-evaluated at that time.
Training will become more important as we move closer to the pilot, which is scheduled to begin in September. The HCAI team will provide opportunities for users to become comfortable with the system prior to adoption. In addition to specific training tools that will be available on the HCAI information website, HCAI will provide a sandbox for individuals to practice using the application.
Initial Testing: June / July
Testing of the HCAI application continues, and all indicators suggest that the system will be ready for reintroduction in the pilot phase as scheduled on September 1, 2009.
Decommissioning the Current HCAI System
In our last communication (May 1, 2009), we informed you that the current HCAI system, which is still being used by some HCFs to create and print OCFs, will be decommissioned on July 31, 2009. The full details clarify the decommissioning process:
Practice Management Software (PMS) Users
The integration tool kit for PMS vendors and developers will be made available prior to the pilot to allow time to integrate HCAI into their practice management tools. PMS vendors opting to integrate with HCAI are being engaged directly by the HCAI team to ensure that testing and validation opportunities are provided prior to the rollout.
Public Testing
Insurer and HCF volunteers will conduct test sessions throughout the month of August, and over 30 sessions have been scheduled. The outcomes will be shared as the testing proceeds.
Pilot Stage
During the initial startup of the reintroduction, two insurers and a handful of HCFs will use the new HCAI system to ensure that the production environment is operating as tested.
In early October 2009, the process will be opened up to a larger community of insurers and HCFs with the intent of creating a user base that reflects 25% of the HCAI transaction volume by the end of the pilot phase, which is currently scheduled for the end of February 2010.
Want to Volunteer?
Health care facilities interested in using HCAI during the pilot stage may register with Viivi Riis at [email protected] and insurers may register with Allison Brand at [email protected].
Quality Assurance
The rollout process is driven by a series of control gates that are designed to ensure a positive user experience and avoid adoption problems. The control gate metrics will be reviewed by IBC�s IT Oversight Committee and the results will be shared with several HCAI governance bodies and the HCAI working group , which includes representatives from health care providers and the Financial Services Commission of Ontario.
What Are the Differences from the Last Rollout?
- Each rollout phase will use a control point to confirm that the system is capable of adopting the next group of users.
- The schedule will introduce OCF transactions volume in a controlled manner.
- The regulated adoption will not require HCFs to maintain dual processes.
- PMS vendors will be provided a long runway to integrate and validate integration to HCAI.
- HCAI has developed and will deploy a set of self-help tools for both insurers and HCFs. These tools will be made available on a redesigned HCAI information website (www.hcaiinfo.ca), which is expected to be available in August during the public testing phase. This website will continue to be available as we move forward.
Full Rollout (Mandatory Enrolment) Schedule
At the end of the pilot phase, the production volunteer experience will be reviewed. If the system has met performance expectations, we expect that regulated adoption will begin in March 2010. The HCAI regulated enrolment process has been designed to avoid any last-minute rollout problems. It is expected that all insurers will be enrolled by the end of March 2010, and that HCFs will enroll in a series of three groupings over an eight-month period (April to November 2010).
For full details, see http://www.hcaiinfo.ca/.
About HCAI
Health Claims for Auto Insurance (HCAI) is an electronic system for transmitting specific Ontario auto insurance health claims forms between insurers and health care providers. It supports the need for access to timely, accurate data to monitor the auto insurance system. More information at www.hcaiinfo.ca.
