Home Health & Hospice Week
Beware HIC Glitch
If you’re trying to look up beneficiary information in the Common Working File and run ning into a roadblock, check the data you’re entering.
Problem: “When an invalid [Health Insurance Claim number] is entered in HIQA,” the Health Insurance Query Access system, “Part A providers are receiving the message, ‘Request was started at the local host’ and no data is being returned to the provider,” HHH Medicare Administrative Contractor National Government Services recently reported.
“If an invalid HIC is entered, or the HIC is not recognized at any of the CWF Host sites, the ‘Request was started at the local host’ message will appear and the screen loops.”
Solution: “Providers receiving this message should back out of the transaction and validate the HIC information,” NGS instructs. “The CWF maintainer is working on fixing the issue.”
There actually were two problems with accessing beneficiary info in the ELGA/ELGH system, says MAC CGS on its website. Another issue involving valid HIC numbers has been resolved, so those queries should work.
Home Health & Hospice Week
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