On August 10, 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published an interim final rule with comment period setting forth operating requirements for EFTs and electronic remittance advice (ERA) transactions. The rule, which was mandated by the ACA, is the third in a series of regulations intended to streamline health care administrative transactions, following a July 8, 2011 rule addressing electronic eligibility and claims status transactions, and a January 10, 2012 rule setting forth standards for health care claim payments made via EFT and corresponding ERAs. Under the August 10 rule, health plans are required to offer a standardized, online enrollment for EFT and ERA to facilitate provider enrollment with multiple health plans to receive these transactions electronically. The rule also, among other things, sets time limits for health plans to send EFTs, and establishes requirements for the initial set-up for electronic communications between providers and plans. CMS estimated that the EFT and ERA operating rules will save industry (primarily physician practices) between $300 million and $3.3 billion over 10 years. The rule is effective August 10, 2012, with a compliance date of January 1, 2014. HHS will accept comments on the rule until October 9, 2012.