As previously noted, HNS can only accept electronic claim files in the required 837p 5010 format, submitted in one of the following ways:

1. Directly to HNSConnect^® from practice management software;
   

    

2. Directly to HNS from Office Ally™ (HNS cannot accept claims from other clearinghouses)

    

If your software can produce the required 837p 5010 format, you must submit your files to HNS in this format. If your software can only produce the print image files, you may submit your claim files to HNS via Office Ally™.  Office Ally™ will convert your non-standard (print image and 837p 4010) claim files to the required 837p 5010 format and transmit your files to HNS.  There is no cost to you for this service.

If you choose to submit your claims via Office Ally™, at any time in the future you may discontinue the services of Office Ally™ and submit your electronic claim files to HNS directly from your practice management software system in the required 837p 5010 format.  This option will always be available to you.  For information regarding transitioning to an 837p 5010 claim file format, please contact your software vendor.

Please note:

• HNS cannot accept claim files from Office Ally™ from those physicians currently submitting the required 837p 5010 claim file format or from those offices who are manually filing claims via HNSConnect^®.

   

• HNS cannot accept claims from any other clearinghouse.

About Office Ally™

Office Ally's™ system is user-friendly; Office Ally™ does not require you to sign a contract, there is no set-up fee, and they offer 24/7 customer support.  Moreover, Office Ally™ offers physicians additional electronic solutions, including Electronic Health Records (EHR) at minimal or no cost to the physician.  Learn more about Office Ally™ by visiting their website at www.OfficeAlly.com.

The Office Ally™ website interfaces with all practice management software packages; all that is required is internet access.  Office Ally's™ Online Claim Entry allows you to submit your claims electronically to HNS (and to other payors), in just a few easy steps using your existing software.  You simply save the claims to a file and then log into the Office Ally™ website and upload your claim file(s).  You will receive an immediate e-mail confirmation from Office Ally™, and approximately one hour later, Office Ally™ will notify you that your file has completed processing.

To help reduce denials, Office Ally™ utilizes numerous edits to pre-scrub all fields on the claim and will notify you of any rejected claims.  You will have the ability to correct any rejected claims right on the Office Ally™ website.

Enrolling with Office Ally™

How to Enroll

Enrolling is fast and easy!  You can enroll online at http://www.officeally.com/register/enrollment.aspx.  If you have questions regarding the enrollment form, please contact Office Ally™ at (360) 975-7000, option 3.

It is not necessary to identify yourself as a HNS physician when enrolling.  After you have completed the enrollment form, you must print, sign, and fax the 'Provider Authorization Signature Page' to Office Ally™.  The Office Ally™ fax number is (360) 314-2184.

It takes approximately 48 hours to complete the setup process with Office Ally™.  When the enrollment process is complete, you will receive a user name and password for the Office Ally™ website and an Office Ally™ enrollment specialist will contact you to set up an appointment with one of Office Ally's™ technical staff.

Important Note:

Remittances associated with claims submitted via Office Ally™ will be sent to you from HNS, and EOPs for those payments will be available through your HNSConnect^® account.

HNS Payor ID Numbers

To ensure that Office Ally™ transmits your HNS claim files to HNS, your file must include BOTH:

1. "HNS" and the name of the payor  (Example: HNS/BCBSNC)

    

2. The HNS Payor ID number.

    

Example:  

HNS/BCBSNC

HBC01

PO Box 2368

Cornelius, NC 28031

Without both of these identifiers, your claim file will not be transmitted to HNS, so be sure to include both in each claim file.

Please contact your software vendor directly if assistance is needed in adding the HNS Payor IDs to claim files.

Please make sure that in addition to the Payor ID number, the claim file includes "HNS" and the name of the payor.

Example: HNS/BCBSNC    HBC01

 North Carolina Physicians
 HNS NC Payor IDs for Office Ally™

 South Carolina Physicians
 HNS SC Payor IDs for Office Ally™

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Am I required to send my electronic files to HNS via Office Ally™?

   No.

    

   HNS encourages all physicians to submit electronic files to HNS directly from their practice management software system in the required HIPAA compliant 837p 5010 format.

    

   If, at any time, you wish to discontinue the services of Office Ally™ and submit your electronic claim file to HNS in the required 837p 5010 format directly from your practice management software system, this option will always be available to you.

    

   For information regarding transitioning to an 837p 5010 claim file format, please contact your software vendor.
   

    

2. Will my practice management software work with Office Ally™?

   Yes, the Office Ally™ website will interface with all practice management software packages.  All you need is internet access (and even dial-up internet access will work).
   

    

3. How will Office Ally™ identify me as an HNS physician?

   HNS has provided Office Ally™ with an "Office Ally™ HNS Eligibility File" which Office Ally™ will use to determine if your claim files are to be sent to HNS.  When contacting Office Ally™ to enroll, it is not necessary to identify yourself as a HNS physician.
   

    

4. How will Office Ally™ know which claim files to send to HNS?

   Office Ally™ identifies claim files to be transmitted to HNS by the HNS Payor ID and by your inclusion of "HNS and the name of the payor, in the claim file.  Both "HNS", the name of the payor AND the specific HNS Payor ID Number for each HNS contracted payor must be included in the claim file submitted to Office Ally™.  Without this information your claim file will not be transmitted to HNS.  Example:  HNS/BCBSNC    HBC01
   

    

5. How do I add Payor IDs to my print image claim files?

   Your software vendor will need to assist you with adding the HNS payor IDs to your claim files, so please contact your software vendor directly.
   

    

6. Who do I contact about tracing claims sent to HNS through Office Ally™?

   Contact your HNS Service Representative with questions regarding claims submitted to HNS through Office Ally™.
   

    

7. Does Office Ally™ provide customer support?

   Yes, Office Ally's™ customer service number is (360) 975-7000, Option 1.
   

    

8. After I enroll with Office Ally™, how do I submit paper claims to HNS?

   Office Ally™ will only accept electronic claim files from HNS physicians.  You will continue to submit secondary and corrected claims, and claims with attachments, directly to HNS, via the CMS 1500 claim form, version 02/12.
   

    

9. What if I need to resubmit a claim to Office Ally™?

   Just like HNSConnect^®, the Office Ally™ system includes edits to prevent the submission of previously submitted claims, so claims previously submitted through Office Ally™ will error back to you and will not be forwarded to HNS.

    

   If you need to make changes to a previously adjudicated claim, you must file the claim directly to HNS as a "corrected" claim using the CMS 1500 claim form (and be sure to mark the claims as "corrected" and follow the directions for submission of corrected claims on the HNSConnect^® User Manual).

    

10. If I am already using Office Ally™ as my clearinghouse, is there anything I need to do?

    If you are already using Office Ally™, you do not need to do anything at this time.  Once HNS notifies you of the effective date for transmitting your HNS claims to Office Ally™, you will begin using the specific HNS payor ID numbers in those claims.

     

    Contact your software vendor for assistance in adding the HNS payor IDs to your HNS claim files.

     

    Continue to send claim files to Office Ally™ for non-HNS payors just as you currently do.

     

11. What if I want to use Office Ally™ to send my claim files to ALL payors?

    Office Ally™ will not charge you for sending claim files to other payors, such as United Healthcare, Aetna, etc.  Once you have enrolled with Office Ally™, if you wish to use Office Ally™ as your clearinghouse for some, or all of your other (non-HNS) payors, you should first check the Office Ally™ website to verify that Office Ally™ transmits to those payors, obtain the appropriate payor IDs and include them in your files, then send those claim files to Office Ally™.

     

12. Will HNS accept claims from any other clearinghouse?

    No, HNS has contracted exclusively with Office Ally™ to convert your non-standard claim files to the required 837p 5010 format and to transmit those claim files to HNS.
    

     

13. How long will HNS allow me to submit my claims through Office Ally™?

    HNS will only accept claims from Office Ally™ while you are participating in the HNS Network.  If you have claims that must be submitted to HNS after the effective date of the termination of your participation, those claims must be filed to HNS via "paper" claims on the revised CMS 1500 claim form.