Reviewing the Confirmation File

You should immediately review your confirmation report to see if there were any gross errors in your transmission . This file will quickly tell you if the file has been accepted or rejected, but will not tell you much beyond that. If you feel comfortable using your computer, you can just find the file and double click on it. The file will open with Simple Text. Though it looks like gibberish, the smallness to the file, and the fact that there are no F04 records means the file was accepted with no large errors.

Translating Your Acknowledgement File

·    Quit Zterm (-Q works just fine).

·    This should return you to PracticeMaker®. If not get there using the application selector.

·    Navigate to ECS Analysis and click the New Analysis button.

·    At the dialog below select Confirmation, give the report a name (such as the same as the file you sent in, on this case MCPA0822) and click Return.

 

·    If you made a selection and enter a unique Report Name you will get the dialog above right. If not you will have to either make a selection or rename the report.

·    At the open file dialog, navigate to the Received folder and select the file to translate (make sure that Show: All Available is selected)

·      PracticeMaker® will then create the report for you to view on screen or print (select view first). If there are no errors there is no need to print the report. A sample, errorless report, is below.

·      If there were errors, print the report and call technical support if you cannot determine the nature of the errors.

Retrieving your submission analysis

48 hours after sending your file you can receive a file telling exactly which claims were accepted or rejected (and why they were rejected). There are also informational edits to help you with future submissions. Below is a typical terminal session for getting this report.

 

Retrieving a submission analysis

·    Sign onto Xact (but this time select MCPAReceive from the Edit menu) if you are not already there.

·    At ENTER LETTER OF SELECTION ==> type A

·    At READY TO RECEIVE REPORT(S)  (Y/N) ==> type Y If there are no reports to download you will be told so.

·    Next, tell Zterm to receive the file by typing -R. Note the filename so you know which filename to import when you “translate” the file in ECS Analysis.

To read this confirmation report you need to load it into ECS Analysis. This time when you click New Analysis be sure to select Xact/DAS as this forces some additional formatting of the report.

 

Retrieving your Reconciliation report

Medicare generally sends a paper explanation of benefits, once called an Explanation of Medicare Benefits (EOMB) but now called a Standard Remittance Advise, or SRA. If you want to receive an electronic version of the SRA, called the Electronic Remittance Advise (ERA), you may not be sent any more paper EOMBs. This means no more paper trail. You will need to check with YOUR Medicare carrier about this.

Anyway, three days after sending in your file, you can retrieve the Reconciliation report. As claims are processed each day, a file is created that informs you about these claims. Some claims may be paid, others may be used to satisfy a deductible and others will be rejected because of billing error. Regardless, you will need to logon EACH DAY and get these reports and bring them into ECS Analysis for translation into English.

·    Sign onto Xact (but this time select MCPAReceive from the Edit menu) if you are not already there.

·    At ENTER LETTER OF SELECTION ==> type R for R)ETRIEVE RECONCILIATION

·    At READY TO RECEIVE REPORT(S)  (Y/N) ==> type Y If there are no reports to download you will be told so.

·    Next, tell Zterm to receive the file by typing -R. Note the filename so you know which filename to import when you “translate” the file in ECS Analysis.

Finally, use ECS Analysis to import this file and create the reconciliation link file.