Standards Organizations ACORD, DISA to Merge

ACORD, the nonprofit global data standards organization for the insurance industry, and DISA, the organization for development of healthcare and cross-industry e-commerce business interchange standards, said that the two organizations will consolidate under the ACORD banner.

“This merger allows us to support all insurance standards including healthcare, as well as introducing new industry sectors to ACORD,” said Gregory Maciag, ACORD president and CEO.

ACORD standards cover all lines of insurance business including property/casualty, life and reinsurance. DISA serves as the secretariat for ASC X12, the Accredited Standards Committee that develops cross-industry e-commerce standards to improve global business process interoperability. DISA and ASC X12 members represent insurance including healthcare, as well as the transportation, finance, government, supply chain and communication/controls sectors.

In 2001, ACORD and European standards body WISe merged, with ACORD assuming responsibility for reinsurance standards and increasing its global footprint.

“Standards organizations around the globe are already collaborating in areas like architecture, translation tools, message certification and other utilities,” added Maciag. “This merger will mean we can make progress faster and increase standards implementation across the board