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Welcome UCare Providers

Change Healthcare/Optum outage

Page last updated Sept. 24, 2024

Change Healthcare is experiencing a nationwide network interruption related to a cyber security issue that started Feb. 21, 2024. UCare is monitoring this evolving situation and will update the information on this page as we learn more. Please check back regularly.

Recent changes:

 

  • Sept. 24, 2024 – Within the “Remittances” section, removed information about the delay in sending paper payments for dates Aug. 16, 2024, to Sept. 11, 2024.

Impact to UCare systems

The following electronic data interchange (EDI) transactions are impacted by the outage:

  • 837s/277CA - Electronic Claims/Claims Response - Providers may check individual claims through UCare’s Provider Portal. Providers who are enrolled with Availity or whose clearinghouse is enrolled with Availity are receiving transactions.
  • 276/277 - Claims Status Inquiry and Response - Providers may check individual claim status through UCare’s Provider Portal.
  • 999 - Implementation Acknowledgement - Providers who are enrolled with Availity or whose clearinghouse is enrolled with Availity are receiving transactions.
  • 270/271 - Eligibility Benefit Inquiry and Response - UCare's payer ID is live for 270/271 transactions.  
  • 835 - Electronic Remittance Advice - Providers who are enrolled with Availity or whose clearinghouse is enrolled with Availity for 835s will have the option to receive electronic remits. 

UCare is working with Change Healthcare. We will continue to update this page as services are restored.

Claim submissions

Providers may submit claims in the following ways:

  •  UCare accepts claim submissions from Availity.
    • Providers can enroll directly with Availity or a provider's clearinghouse can enroll with Availity.
    • For providers needing emergency assistance, connection to all payers via Availity Essentials will be offered at no cost (Direct Data Entry (DDE) for single claim submission is excluded) for the time being. Click here to learn more. We will share information as we learn more.
  • At this time, claims submitted through MN E-Connect are not affected by the outage. Providers may sign up with MN E-Connect (UCare Payer ID: 55413) to submit claims. On the MN E-Connect/Health EC application, a provider should only indicate UCare in the Payer Name (Insurance company name) section for the request form to receive access to the free DDE version (Individual Claim Submission).
    • Costs may be associated if using the application for other payers.
    • Additional charges may be incurred if indicating "yes" for additional services: Eligibility Services (Request/Response), 836 Batch Claims Submissions, ERA (Electronic Remittance Advice) or Claim Attachments.
  • For claims that are affected by this outage, UCare will extend timely filing by 30 days. UCare will reprocess claims with receipt dates of Feb. 28, 2024, to April 12, 2024, that have denied for timely filing in situations where the number of days past the timely filing deadline does not exceed 30 days. If you feel you have a claim that meets these criteria but did not get reprocessed, please contact us using a Reconsideration Form, and we will review.

Claim payments

UCare is back to standard claims payment processes. Please see the Provider Manual for Claims information.

Remittances

Providers who were enrolled with Availity or whose clearinghouse was enrolled with Availity to receive ERAs by April 28, 2024, received retro 835s back to payment date Feb. 23. Providers who enroll April 29, 2024, or later will need to contact UCare's Provider Assistance Center to request any retro 835s. Due to system limitations, we can only provide electronic remits within the last 90 days. For anything over 90 days, we can provide a copy of the EOP (paper remit).

Once enrolled with Availity for ERA submissions, UCare no longer requires providers to populate an Electronic Remittance Advice form on the UCare Provider Portal.

EOPs dated Aug. 16, 2024, and forward are available on UCare’s new Provider Portal effective Sept. 9, 2024. UCare will only mail paper remits to providers signed up to receive paper EOPs. Previously, all providers were receiving paper remits. To obtain a copy of a historical paper EOP, please contact UCare’s Provider Assistance Center. UCare has discontinued sending paper EOPs for providers who are receiving 835s. 

FAQ - UCare has developed a list of frequently asked questions for what providers can expect with ERAs after the Change Healthcare outage is resolved.