MEDICARE TRANSACTION SYSTEM - PLATFORM FOR CHANGE

This article provides an overview of the Medicare Transaction System ( MTS), a Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA)-wide initiative to be implemented starting in 1997 which will develop a national, standa rd, integrated, government-owned, contractor-operated Medicare claims processing system that will meet the challenges confronting Medicare o ver the next 2 decades. The authors discuss MTS goals and objectives, major features, how it will work, standardization efforts being undert aken in support of the initiative, contracting efforts involved and pr oject status.