Which legislation mandated the implementation of unique health plan identifiers?

The legislation that mandated the implementation of unique health plan identifiers is the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This act was established in 2010 and aimed to improve healthcare quality, expand access to insurance, and reduce healthcare costs. One of its provisions included the requirement for the creation of unique identifiers for health plans, which is crucial for streamlining processes in healthcare administration.

The unique identifiers help eliminate confusion among different insurance plans and facilitate more efficient data exchange between healthcare providers and payers. This initiative is part of the broader effort to enhance administrative simplification within the healthcare system, making it easier for providers to process claims and for patients to understand their insurance options.

The other mentioned acts, while significant in their own rights, do not specifically address the implementation of unique health plan identifiers. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) focused on protecting patient privacy and security of health information rather than mandating identifiers. The Patient Protection Act and the Medicare Modernization Act also had different focuses that did not include the specific requirement for unique health plan identifiers.