Electronic Remittance Advice (ERA) Contingency Ends for Providers and Clearinghouses
Effective October 1, 2006, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina will transmit only HIPAA-compliant Electronic Remittance Advice (ERA) transactions (835 version 4010A1) to all electronic remit receivers. The contingency plan for the remittance advice transaction that was initiated October 16, 2003 will end.
In 2003, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) addressed compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) transaction and code sets, and encouraged health plans to:
- Intensify their efforts toward compliance
- Assess the readiness of their provider communities
- Determine the need to implement contingency plans to maintain the flow of payments while continuing toward compliance
We have spent the past few years providing outreach services regarding HIPAA. This includes statewide workshops and visits to healthcare professionals' locations. We have mailed news and information bulletins. We have encouraged the use of both electronic remits and PDF remit images accessible through our Web site by going to My Insurance Manager.
To ensure a smooth transition we have also implemented My Remit Manager. Signing up is simple: just click here.
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