Handwriting on Claims Submitted to Medicare

National Government Services will return to the provider any paper claim submitted with handwriting on the face of the claim that is not a signature field, (i.e., Items 12, 13 or 31). A notice will be attached to the front of the returned claim and you will need to submit a new claim.

The CMS IOM Publication 100-04, Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 26, Section 30, “Printing Standards and Print File Specifications Form CMS-1500” (700 KB) contains the printing specifications for the CMS-1500 claim form. These printing specifications do not provide instructions to submit handwritten claims. Please use this CMS IOM reference to ensure you are completing paper claims correctly.

We understand this may require some substantial changes to your office practices and we at NGS have two alternatives to handwritten paper claims that would be of little cost to your practice.

NGSConnex is our web-based self-service portal, free of charge, and available through Internet access. You can login to NGSConnex and submit claims to us. In addition to claims submission, NGSConnex has other useful functions like verifying Medicare entitlement, submitting appeals on claims, and viewing and downloading your remittance advice. Take this opportunity to get started on NGSConnex today.
Electronic claim submission and other transactions submitted electronically process considerably faster than paper submission. The Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) page on our website, explains how to enroll and what capabilities your office needs to be able to submit electronic claims. In addition, NGS can provide you with no-cost claim submission software, PC-ACE.

Benefits of Using NGSConnex and Electronic Claim Submission

There are a number of advantages to enrolling and submitting claims online. Claims and other transactions submitted electronically process considerably faster than paper submission. For example, HIPAA-compliant electronic claims are held in the payment floor for 14 days whereas paper claims are held in the payment floor for 29 days.

Some of the other advantages of electronic submission include:

Increased cash flow and lower administrative costs
Ease of billing
Added efficiency and accurate claims filing

Introduction of the PC-ACE Program for Part B Providers

The NGS PC-ACE free billing software is available for NGS J6 and JK providers only. If you are not a J6 or JK provider, the free billing software must be obtained from your MAC.

PC-ACE is a stand-alone claims processing system that enables an electronic submitter to store demographic information, enter and store claim information, and prepare files for Medicare Part A and Part B claims. These files are prepared in the HIPAA-compliant 837 ANSI 5010A2 format.

Key Features of PC-ACE

PC-ACE is a comprehensive claims management system. Some of the more prominent features include:

Combined Medicare Part A, institutional all-payer and professional claims system
Electronic submission of claims in ANSI-837 format
Flexible claim import from existing systems
Remittance translation/export to existing systems
Comprehensive real-time claims editing minimizes rejected claims
Field-level edit validation provides immediate user feedback
Automatic code validation (diagnosis, procedure, etc.)
Detailed claim import and edit validation error reporting
Context-sensitive pop-up selection lists speed claim entry and promote accuracy
Prints institutional and professional claims on plain paper or preprinted forms
Maintains claim payment history
Unattended scheduling of claims activities
Integrated backup, restore and file maintenance functions
Familiar Microsoft Windows “look and feel”
Comprehensive online help system
Technical support through direct customer service line and Internet website
Ongoing maintenance, updates and enhancements

Support and How To

All providers with access to the Internet should have the capability to download this billing software free of charge. However, if that is not the case, this software will continue to be available on CD for a $25 nonrefundable fee.

For assistance, please contact the EDI Help Desk or submit an EDI E-mail Inquiry Form for assistance. If it is determined that you are not capable of downloading the software, you will be provided with the appropriate form to request the PC-ACE software on CD.