1500 Health Insurance Claim Form FAQs

What is ‘Anti-Rejection Protection’?

This is our way of saying our CMS-1500 forms are 100% guaranteed against rejection by insurance carries due to improper formatting, content or print quality.

Where are completed forms sent?

Completed claim forms are sent to the insurance company, payer, or other entity responsible for paying the claim.

What font size should I use when completing the revised form?

The recommended font size is 10.

Can providers use a copied form or one that is printed in black?

No. The form must be in OCR red ink for the form to be read by a scanner. The specified red ink allows scanners to drop the form template during the imaging of the paper. This "cleaner" image is easier and faster to process with data capture automation such as ICR/OCR (Intelligent Character Recognition/Optical Character Recognition) software. Your vendor may choose not to process claim forms that are submitted in black ink.

Where can I find the latest 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form Instruction Manual?

The NUCC developed a 1500 Claim Form Reference Instruction Manual detailing how to complete the claim form. The purpose of the manual is to help standardize the manner in which the form is completed.
Click here (link opens in new window) to access the NUCC website and the latest instruction manual

Can CMS 1500 (02/12) forms be handwritten?

Technically, yes, a CMS 1500 claim form can be handwritten, but it is not recommended, as it may take longer to process because the form is designed to be read by OCR technology. Some payers may even require electronically submitted claims.

What errors are most common when filling out a CMS 1500 claim form?

Incomplete or inaccurate data is a common error that causes delays, such as missing patient demographic data, incorrect insurance information, or incomplete diagnosis and procedure codes.