This article has been written for offices
using the Stephens & Associates Validator Direct Electronic
Claims software, who either have not downloaded the version 5.8.0
update, or are having
trouble logging into NHIC Medicare with the 5.8.0 software. It will
explain how you can MANUALLY log into Medicare and change your password.
As you may have already heard, NHIC Medicare has
recently decided to enact a new password policy for users of their
BBS system. Unfortunately,
we have not been able to determine the exact nature of NHIC’s
BBS changes. Nevertheless in anticipation of that change we have
released our Validator version 5.8.0, which is a free update available
from our web site.
The new NHIC password policy is for anyone who submits electronic
claims directly to NHIC Medicare. This password policy states that
the password you use to log into the BBS must adhere to the following
rules:
1. The password must be at least 8 characters in length.
2. The password must contain at least one number.
3. The password must contain at least one upper case or lower case
letter.
4. The password must contain at least one special character. The
special characters are defined as the at sign @, exclamation point
! or the pound sign #.
5. The password will expire every 30 days.
6. The new password you enter must not have been one of the last
5 passwords you have used.
While items 1-5 above do not have any adverse affect on our Validator
users, the requirement to not re-use passwords within a 6-month period
does. As many of you are already aware, the Validator swaps back
and forth between two passwords every 30 days. This new NHIC Medicare
requirement changes our ability to do that.
The 5.8.0 version of the Validator mentioned above handles this
problem by automatically creating a new, more complex password from
your existing one by adding a pound sign (#) and a number to end
of the first 6 digits of your existing password. That number will
increment by one all the way up to 9, thus giving us 10 unique passwords
to cycle through.
Using the rules listed above; decide what new password
you will be using. You will want to enter this new password into
the Validator
program so that, after you manually change your password, the Validator
will be able to automatically log into NHIC Medicare’s BBS
again. Open the Validator program, and click on Settings\Carrier
Setup Options.
At the top of the screen, where
it says “Please
Select a Carrier” choose the dropdown arrow and select “NHIC
Medicare”.
Click on the “Modem” tab
The location that says “BBS
Password” is what we are looking
for. Note the password you currently have entered there, and write
it down as you will need it later. Also, note the “BBS Login
ID,” and write that down as well. Change the password to the
password you picked out using the new rules set forth by Medicare.
For consistency’s sake, it should be something with 6 characters,
a pound sign (#) and a number. For example:
Click the [OK] Button to save your
changes and exit the screen
Now click on Transmission\Terminal from the main
screen. If you have more than one carrier, you will be asked which
one you want
to connect to. Choose the “DOT” next to all carriers
available and choose Medicare.
You may get the following messagebox,
or one that asks you if you want to resend the last file. Click
[OK], or [No], depending upon which
messagebox you get.
Your terminal screen will come up for Medicare. This is the same
screen you are used to seeing when transmitting your claims, but
this time, instead of clicking on the red and blue arrow button,
click on the Yellow Phone Icon to manually connect to the carrier.
Once you do this, you will hear the
phone dial. Your connection will take about 15 seconds, and once
you are connected,
you will
see a blinking cursor in the upper left hand corner of the screen.
Press the Plus Sign <+> on your keyboard and press the <Enter> key.
You will then be prompted to enter
your Login ID. Type in your BBS Login ID that you wrote down earlier
and press
the <Enter> key
again.
NOTE: If you make a mistake, the <Backspace> key will NOT
work. Simply press the <Enter> key until you are asked to enter
the login ID again.
Now you will be prompted for your
password. You will need to enter your ORIGINAL password (not the
new one you just
made up, but the
one you wrote down from your Validator program) and press the <Enter> key
again.
NOTE: If you make a mistake, the
backspace key will not work, simply press the <Enter> key
and the system will tell you that the login was incorrect, and
allow you to re-enter
the Login ID and password
again. You may make up to three mistakes logging in before you are
forced to hang up and call again.
Once you are logged in, you will be prompted with the following
message:
Your password has expired
Password must be at least 8 characters in length AND include
one number AND one upper or lower case letter AND
one special character of ! or @ or #
Enter new password:
Where it says “Enter new Password”, go ahead and type
the new password you have just made up (the one you already entered
into the carrier setup options screen) and press the <Enter> key.
Now that you have changed your password,
you may disconnect and use the Validator normally for the next
30 days.
This gives you the
opportunity to obtain the Validator update that will work with
these new password requirements. Updates are always available on
our
web
site. If you
do not have access to the Internet, Stephens & Associates can
provide you an update on CD for a nominal service charge.
