Overview: CIGNA is Your Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC)

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) have assigned CIGNA Government Services as the Medicare Administrative Contractor for processing Medicare transactions in your region.

How This Affects You
CMS requires that all healthcare providers obtain a secure connection to their MAC through an approved service provider, such as IVANS. We offer the widest range of Medicare Access solutions in the industry, used by more than 135,000 healthcare providers today.

To conduct Medicare transactions with CIGNA, healthcare providers need approved connectivity to Medicare's systems. IVANS can provide this with one of the following solutions, depending upon your business needs:

• IVANS LIME™ High-Speed Broadband
• IVANS Secure Dialup
• IVANS Leased Line

Next Step
Please review IVANS Medicare Access solutions and choose the one that best fits your needs.

Access Options & Pricing

>>> Compare IVANS Medicare Access Options <<< Option 1: Secure High-Speed Broadband: IVANS LIME™ | View Pricing

Ideal for: Medium and low volume claims submitters (1 - 100 users) Description: Using your existing high-speed Internet service (cable, DSL, or Managed Internet Services), IVANS LIME™ connects you directly to any CMS application you need to access for one, flat monthly fee. Learn About Implementation IVANS LIME High-Speed Single-User solution can typically be implemented within 48 business hours after receipt of a signed contract. Installation is done remotely and requires just a small software download. IVANS LIME High-Speed Multi-User solution can typically be implemented within 5 business days after receipt of a signed contract. Installation is done remotely and requires just a small plug and play device. Please contact IVANS sales so we can quickly define the best setup to meet your needs before you submit a contract.

Option 2: Secure Dial-up | View Pricing

Ideal for: Low-volume claims submitters (particularly single users) and/or providers that prefer to be charged only when they send transactions. Description: This solution provides connectivity via dial-up based on an hourly usage fee for the network. Learn About Implementation IVANS Secure Dial-Up solution can typically be implemented within 48 business hours after receipt of a signed contract. Installation is done remotely and requires just a small software download.

Option 3: IVANS Frame Relay Leased Line | Call 800-548-2690 for Pricing

Ideal for: High-volume claim submitters (more than 100 users) Description: IVANS Frame Relay service provides a single, secure connection through the use of permanent virtual circuits (PVCs). With a fixed monthly cost, this option is recommended for large facilities with many users and locations. Learn About Implementation Please call IVANS Sales at 1-800-548-2690 for details.

Additional Services

IVANS BlueZone: Batch Processing & TN3270 Emulator $54 one-time charge per license | $12 annual maintenance fee per license Ideal for providers that want to do batch claims submission, in addition to Direct Data Entry. Our FTP solution enables you to easily submit multiple claims at the same time (via batch submission) to CMS electronically. The built in TN3270 emulator translates the data you send to Medicare into a format their systems can read. For more information on IVANS BlueZone, click here.

IVANS MiPro: Real-Time Patient Eligibility Verification $60 one-time charge per license | $15 annual maintenance fee per license Ideal for providers that want to check a patient’s Medicare eligibility prior to service, to minimize the risk of claims denials and uncompensated care. Our Medicare Inquiry Pro software sends a 270 request to Medicare and receives a 271 message confirming a patient’s eligibility – all in just a few seconds.

Getting Started

If you have not received a submitter ID from Medicare, you will need to contact your Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) to obtain this information. For a list of MAC contacts and important Medicare information, please click here.  Once you have received your submitter ID, you can establish a connection to Medicare using IVANS with the following steps:

1. Review IVANS Medicare Access Options. If you have any questions, contact our sales team by clicking "Chat Live", calling 800-548-2690 or emailing Health.Services@ivans.com.
    
2. Click the "Order Now" button to view our Communications Service Agreement (CSA).
    
3. Fill out the CSA.
    
4. Fax the signed agreement to IVANS at the fax number indicated on the document.
    
5. Receive a Welcome Letter from IVANS in 48 hours to the email address you provided on the agreement.
    
6. Use the links and instructions found in the Welcome Letter to direct you to software downloads. The Welcome Letter will include your IVANS Medicare Access login credentials.

How it Works

IVANS makes connecting to Medicare easy. Our Medicare Access Solutions can use either the existing Internet or dial access at your facility or we can provide you with Internet access for logging into your Medicare Contractor's Virtual Private Network (VPN).

1. To access the Medicare VPN, you will use IVANS LIME High-Speed, Secure Dial, or Leased Line solution to connect with Medicare's systems.
    
2. You would enter login information provided by IVANS for our Remote Access Client software and then click the "Connect" button to enter the VPN. In just a few seconds, you are connected directly to Medicare's systems to facilitate quick transaction processing.
    
3. Once you are inside the Medicare network, you will perform your Medicare transactions with the Submitter ID you received from Medicare.
    
4. Using just a single connection through IVANS, you can access the complete Medicare workflow and multiple Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs).

MAC Information

Jurisdiction C DME Providers
Located in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia or the U.S. Virgin Islands

If you are DME provider located in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia or the U.S. Virgin Islands, CMS has awarded CIGNA as the Medicare Administrative Contractor for providers in Jurisdiction C.

Healthcare providers can use IVANS Medicare Access Solutions to connect to any Medicare Administrative Contractor, Fiscal Intermediary, or Carrier, so you can implement IVANS solutions to conduct Medicare transactions with any of these entities.

CIGNA Website: www.cignagovernmentservices.com/

CIGNA Helpdesk: 866-224-3094

1. Overview

2. Access Options & Pricing

3. Getting Started

4. How it Works

5. MAC Information

» Customer Success Story

» Medicare Access Summary