To provide an efficient and more streamlined service to you as a provider, CMS and Noridian require Medicare Part B providers to utilize the IVR for IVR specific information. These services are only available during the hours the Medicare processing system is available. The specific services for which Noridian requires providers to use the IVR include:

• Part A/B patient eligibility
• Claim status
• Deductible status
• Check status
• Check history
• Remittance Information

Additional information regarding the required use of self-service to complete simple inquiries is available in the CMS Internet Only Manual (IOM), Publication 100-09, Medicare Contractor Beneficiary and Provider Communications Manual, Chapter 6.

Hours of availability for the required services identified above are:

• General IVR inquiries available 24/7
• Claim-specific inquiries available Monday – Friday 4 a.m. - 7 p.m. PT and Saturday 4 a.m. - 2 p.m. PT

The IVR is available 24/7 to provide callers with the following general services:

Call Flow

To start the call, begin at the Main Menu, "Thanks for calling Medicare."

"Are you calling for inquiries about Patient Eligibility, Claim Status or Financial Information?"

• Yes
  • Are you calling for Medicare Part A or Part B?"
  • "Which state are you calling for?"
• No
  • "Ok. You can say "EDI Support Services, Provider Enrollment, Phone Reopenings, User Security, IVR or General Inquiries.""
  • "Are you calling for Medicare Part A or Part B?" *
  • "Which state are you calling for?"

Additional prompts to retrieve the necessary authentication information will follow.

Authentication - Be prepared

To ensure that calls flow as quick and as productive as possible, have the following authentication information available upon calling. Authentication information may vary depending on your inquiry and department you are contacting.

Acronyms indicated in tables below

• NPI – National Provider Identifier
• PTAN – Provider Transaction Access Number
• TIN – Tax Identification Number
• SSN – Social Security Number
• EIN – Employer Identification Number
• UIN – Unique Identification Number (given by User Security)
• ERA – Electronic Remittance Advice
• MREP – Medicare Remit Easy Print

Customer Service Department/Option	Authentication Items	Menu Options/Menu Option Details
Self Service IVR	NPI PTAN Last five Digits of TIN	NA
EDI	Provider: NPI Vendor: Submitter ID	Password Assistance Connect EDI Gateway EDI Registration Connect Report Questions 277CA Claims Acknowledgement 835 (ERA) 999 Functional Acknowledgement EDI Software MREP PC-ACE Pro 32 PC Print Connectivity Issues Another Reason ASCA
Provider Enrollment	NPI PTAN SSN/EIN	Application in Process In-process application questions/issue Application completion timeframe Revalidation Revalidation process inquiries Revalidation status Account on hold Application Status In-process application status Application receipt PTAN Status PTAN activity PTAN effective date General Enrollment Inquiry General Enrollment Inquiries, no application in process Examples: Who should I enroll in Medicare? What application should I complete and submit? Can my provider enroll in Medicare? How do I report changes?
User Security	UIN	Password Resets Noridian Medicare Portal Professional Provider Telecommunications Network (PPTN) Direct Data Entry (DDE) General Questions Approving new user registrations Unlocking user accounts Assistance logging into Noridian Medicare Portal

• Email Customer Service

The documents in this section explain how to use the IVR and what information is available through the system. CMS regulations require Medicare providers to use the IVR.

• IVR Guide [PDF]
• IVR Flowchart [PDF]

Helpful Hints

• Call from a quiet environment
• Be sure to have your information organized before calling
• Speak clearly and naturally into telephone
• Bypass upfront messaging by saying "Main Menu" or pressing the # key on telephone keypad
• Selections may be keyed or spoken without waiting for entire prompt to play
• Say "Main Menu" at any time to go back to beginning of call flow
• If IVR is having difficulty with information as spoken, try keying information with telephone keypad
• Enter full Medicare number including alpha character(s)
• When speaking date, use full format, for example, say "July fifth, two thousand ten."
• In order to obtain accurate information, some Medicare numbers require you to verify suffix each time, such as "B as in Boy," "D as in Dog," or "T as in Tom." To eliminate repetition, include this information when giving Medicare number - "123456789B as in Boy"

Use the IVR Conversion Tool to assist in determining the touch-tone data-entry if you prefer to avoid the voice-recognition option offered from the IVR.