It has been said that the more complicated the process
the bigger the rewards.
Well whoever came up with that statement obviously never had to fill
out a Carrier enrollment form. If they only would write them in English
it would make the situation so much easier for the average person,
therefore we here at Stephens & Associates thought we would give
you folks a hand.
Here are some of the commonly asked questions regarding the Carrier
enrollment forms, and the answers.
1. What is the name of the software? Validator Direct EMC.
2. What format are you sending? The format is ANSI 1040A.
3. What is the Vendors ID#? Stephens & Associates vendor #V06058.
4. What is the name of your vendor? Stephens & Associates.
5. Who is the contact for your vendor? Adam Ziegler
6. What is the contact # for your vendor? 805-650-6128
7. Vendor e-mail address? adam@Satechs.com
8. What operating system do you use? This refers to PC or Mac not
the Windows program you are using.
9. What is your communication method? Usually this is Asynch!
10. Do you want your reports zipped? NO
11. Do you send claim files zipped? While the Validator can do this,
why complicate matters, NO.
Now each carrier’s forms are different and
may ask for more detailed information which you most likely have
to contact them,
but the above information should help you fill out your forms with
relative ease.
Modem Troubleshooting 101
It
happens! You are trying to transmit claims and you can’t seem
to get connected. It’s like the modem isn’t even there.
Or you get connected, but the modem quits before you’ve finished
sending your claims. Modem problems can have many different causes.
This article will give you some help in trouble-shooting them:
MODEM DOESN’T CONNECT:
First there are some things we need to ascertain first. Is it an external
or internal modem?
If it is external, is it plugged in, to the power, to the phone line
and to the computer?
Is it turned on? If there is a chance the external modem was off when
you first turned on your computer, you may need to reboot your computer
for the modem to be “recognized”.
If it is an internal modem, is the phone line connected
to the back of the computer?
Often it is the little basic things that get you. You may also want
to connect a regular phone to this line and dial the same number you
are asking your modem to dial. Doing so will allow you to make sure
the phone jack, phone cord, and long distance service all work fine.
If all of the above is OK, try rebooting the computer.
Rebooting has an almost magical effect on quite a few problems…(Note
that it is important that you actually turn OFF power to the computer
and wait 30 seconds to turn it back on, especially if your modem is
internal. That is the only way an internal modem can be RESET.)
Next make sure the program you are using knows what
modem it is using. For example in the Validator one would go to Settings/Carrier
Setup Options and then to the modem tab. There is a drop down menu
there that should list all of you modems, if you have more than one,
make sure that the proper one is selected.
Next see if the computer “sees”
the modem. Go to Start/Control Panel/ Printers and other Hardware/Phones
and Modem Options. Next pick the Modem tab, on this screen you should
see your modems and it will tell you if they are attached, in other
words if the computer recognizes them.
TRANSMISSION DOESN’T FINISH:
Say you can connect but are unable
to finish transmitting, because your modem gets disconnected. Once
again there are many different reasons for this.
Is this line shared with another device such as a fax machine or a
phone line that has more than one purpose? Perhaps your port speed
is too fast or slow, in the Validator you can go to Settings/Carrier
Setup Options and then to the modem tab right underneath the modem
drop down menu is a button called Details. Push this and it will open
up another window. The only thing to change in this window is the
port speed; leave the bits and parity alone!!! If it looks like a
very low number increase it by clicking on the arrow to the right
of the number. Conversely if it looks very high, lower it. We have
found especially with Medicare it is best to have it at 19200, not
to fast and not to slow.
Finally, you should use another program
called HyperTerminal to see if you can connect to the carrier that
way. Almost all versions of Windows come with this program, and it
can be found under Start\Programs\Accessories\Communications. If you
can dial and connect and maintain a connection just fine with HyperTerminal,
but cannot with the Validator, one of the Validator’s support
files may be out-dated. You can download this support file at www.Satechs.com/Files/Validator/Parts/SC8.exe.
If all else fails, call your friendly neighborhood Validator dealer.
Your Validator dealer has become quite adept at troubleshooting suspected
modem problems!
10%
Off End-of-Year Sale Ends Soon!
Friday September 9, 2005,
is the last day for the 10% off End-of-Year
Sale. If you missed our announcement letter, it’s
still not too late! The full text of the offer letter
is on our website. Check out the full details at this website location
http://www.stephensassociates.com/specials.htm
Or call 805-650-6128 x123 for the details.
But do it before September
9th, because on September 10th the 10% Sale is OVER!
The fine print: On September
10, 2005, the 5% Sale Begins, but that’s only HALF as good.
So why wait?
