Everything you need to know about ICN Number

icn number

Medical billing is a complex procedure, including numerous steps, numbers, and codes. The entire procedure is crucial to the efficient operation of medical practices since it influences the amount of money earned and repaid. Therefore, the information on the medical claim form must be comprehensive, accurate, and complete. A medical claim form contains all of the pertinent information for the insurance company on the treatment rendered. The insurance company might deny or cancel the claim if the required information is missing or incorrect. If this occurs, you must either cancel or modify the claim. Each claim sent to Medicare is assigned a tracking number known as an internal control number (ICN). You must be wondering: what is an ICN number? Continue reading this article, as it intends to discuss the ICN number in great detail. From ICN number definition to the various aspects related to this claim identifier are presented in this post.

What is an ICN Number

What is an ICN number? ICN number is a claim identifier comprising 18 digits used to track claims. The ICN identifies the claim. Depending on the system’s configuration, you can manually enter ICNs throughout the claim entry process. ICNs are visible when investigating a claim because they are shown in a banner at the top of the screen.

ICN Number Definition

An Internal Control Number (ICN) is defined as a unique tracking number assigned to a submitted medical claim for medical billing. The insurance payer assigns this number to every medical claim.

icn number definition

Importance of Control Numbers

The claim identification (ICN) number is called CCN (Claim Control Number). It is a 14-digit number provided to each Medicare claim for processing. The first five digits of the Medicare claim number show the date Medicare received the claim. The organization uses the Julian calendar. The Julian date will consist of the first two digits of the year, followed by the days of the year). The sixth digit specifies whether the claim was submitted manually (on paper) or electronically. The final number of a claim indicates whether it is a new or existing claim with modifications. The claim has been amended if the final number is more than one.

Breakdown of ICN Number

Below, we explain the significance of each digit (from 1 to 13) in the 17-digit ICN number.

  • The first two digits indicate how the claim was submitted (electronically or manually)
  • The third and fourth digits in the ICN indicate the year the claim was initially submitted.
  • The fifth, sixth and seventh digits indicate the year in which the claim was submitted.
  • The Medicare contractor provided the numbers 8 through 13 in an unprecedented manner.
  • The digits from eighth to thirteenth are the ones (a unique set of numbers) that the Medicare contractor provided

Considering the example of the following claim number: 1119100351480.

  • The third and fourth digits are 1 and 9, respectively. This indicates that the claim was received in the year 2019.
  • The fifth, sixth and seventh digits are 100, representing that the claim was received on the 100th day.

Medicare received the claim on April 10, 2019, as identified from the above ICN number.

It is essential to pay specific attention to the claims and the American National Standards Institute regulations (ANSI). The claim comments are placed at the end of the first line in the “MOA” field. The meaning of each code is specified at the bottom of the remittance. The ANSI codes are listed directly below the group code at the bottom of each line item (CO, PR, or OA). At the bottom of the remittance advice is a series of explanations. Both the ANSI code and the Group code are referred on this series. The codes will explain why a claim was paid or denied and any other relevant claim information.

ICN number is extremely important in medical billing. Before a claim deemed invalid, modified, or replaced can be sent again, it must have an ICN number. Insurance payers will utilize the ICN number associated with the claim to identify it uniquely.

The number is on the payer’s explanation of benefits so that claims can be monitored. If a claim was modified and resubmitted, and the payer requires the ICN from the posted explanation of benefits, you may be required to file the claim as a Replacement for a Prior Claim. Alternatively, if the claim is invalid, you may be required to resubmit it as a Void/Cancel Prior Claim. You must consult with your payer to determine what is required.

See Also: CPT Code 99465 – Delivery/birthing Room Resuscitation

Conclusion

In medical billing, ICN stands for Internal Control Number. Every submitted medical claim receives this unique tracking number from the insurance payer. A veteran’s ICN is a 17-digit number that is both unique and distinct. The claim is invalid if it lacks an ICN number. Outsourcing medical billing is one of the greatest ways to ensure that the billing process is done without errors. The major benefits of outsourcing medical billing include a lower error rate, lower expenses (compared to in-house medical billing), increased revenues and reimbursements, and a greater emphasis on providing patients with safe, high-quality care.

Precision Hub is one of the leading medical billing companies that work with you to optimize billing and coding procedures. We strive to make healthcare more efficient, transparent, and effective for everyone by delivering organized workflows and tech-enabled solutions that result in improved claim acceptance, more growth, and quicker reimbursements. Book your free demo with us today and find out how we can assist you in enhancing your practice’s revenue.