In October 2003, electronic transactions and claims used by healthcare providers must be in compliance with the standard ANSI formats of HIPAA.  Also, effective April 2005, measures must be taken to secure both hard copies and electronic copies of protected health information to prevent access without authorization.  With these security measures in place, it is necessary to upgrade any software not in compliance to hipaa compliant medical billing software.  There are many resources online to assist you with selecting the best hipaa compliant medical billing software.