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March 8, 2024Updated 04.01.24

Change Healthcare Security Incident

CMS Fact Sheet: Change Healthcare/Optum Payment Disruption (CHOPD) Accelerated Payments to Part A Providers and Advance Payments to Part B SuppliersPDF

Click here to request an advance payment.PDF

Change Healthcare/ Optum Payment Disruption (CHOPD) Accelerated and Advance Payments for Part A Providers and Part B Suppliers Frequently Asked QuestionsExternal Website

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and CGS Administrators are aware that Change Healthcare recently suffered a cyber-attack. Change Healthcare is a clearinghouse vendor that connects providers with insurance payers and has operations that impact the submission of Medicare claims, including CGS. At this time, there is no indication that CGS' systems have been compromised. This is not a CMS or CGS incident.

We understand you are working hard to ensure your patients have continued access to care, and this matter is very concerning. CGS is gathering more information as the situation unfolds, assessing all options, and will provide updates when they become available.

On March 5, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a Statement Regarding the Cyberattack on Change HealthcareExternal Website. We encourage you to review the entire statement for detailed information about the actions taken and flexibilities in place to alleviate potential operational disruptions and reimbursement delays. In addition, please review the "What affected parties need to know" section below for specific CGS resources that align with the flexibilities outlined in the HHS statement.

What affected parties need to know:

  • Common Electronic Data Interchange (CEDI) offers a list of approved software vendors, billing services and clearinghousesExternal Website alternatives to send claims to and/or receive ERAs from CEDI.

    CEDI also offers the web-based CEDI Claims PortalExternal Website for manual entry of claims and to retrieve the ERA.

    Suppliers will need to complete CEDI enrollment forms to use another method of exchanging transactions with CEDI. CEDI enrollment forms are submitted online through the CEDI websiteExternal Website under Enrollment and are processed within 5 business days.

    Please contact the CEDI Help Desk at ngs.cedihelpdesk@anthem.com or 866.311.9184 if you have any questions.

  • Any provider affected by the incident may request an Administrative Simplification Compliance Act (ASCA) waiver to submit paper claims. To request a waiver, send an email to cgs.dme.mac.email.inquiries@cgsadmin.com that includes the following information:
    • Subject line of the email: Attention: ASCA Request
    • Contents of the email: We are requesting an ASCA waiver due to billing through Change Healthcare to allow us to submit paper claims for [Insert your Supplier Name] and [insert Provider Transaction Access Number (PTAN)] until this issue is resolved.

    Note: The payment floor for paper claims is 29 days (versus 14 days for electronic claims).

  • If you experience significant cash flow problems from the unusual circumstances impacting operations during outages arising from this event, you may request an Accelerated and Advance Payment.
  • If you have been affected by Change Healthcare and need relief for any Medical Review Target, Probe, and Education case, please reach out to our Medical Review inquiries mailbox at JB.TPE.INQUIRIES@cgsadmin.com.

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