Electronic claims payment offers several advantages over traditional paper checks. For example, electronic claims payment can help with:
- Faster payment processing
- Reduced manual processes
- Access to online or electronic remittance information
- Reduced risk of lost or stolen checks
Fees may be associated with electronic transactions. Please check with your financial institution, merchant processor or clearinghouse for specific rates.
EFT/ERA enrollment
With electronic funds transfer (EFT), Humana deposits your claim payments directly into the bank account(s) of your choice. We also will enroll you for our electronic remittance advice (ERA), which replaces the paper version of your explanation of remittance (EOR).
Physicians and other healthcare providers can use Humana's ERA/EFT Enrollment tool on Availity Portal to request enrollment or update an existing enrollment. To access this tool:
- Sign into
Availity Essentials (registration required). - From the Payer Spaces menu, select Humana.
- From the Applications tab, select the ERA/EFT Enrollment app. (If you don’t see the app, contact your Availity administrator to discuss your need for this tool.)
About EFT
EFT payment transactions are reported with file format CCD+, which is the recommended industry standard for EFT payments. The CCD+ format is a NACHA Automated Clearing House (ACH) corporate payment format with a single, 80-character addendum record capability. The originator uses the addendum record to provide additional information about the payment to the recipient. This format is also referenced in the ERA (835 data file). Contact your financial institution if you would like to receive this information.
Fees may be associated with EFT payments. Consult with your financial institution for specific rates.
About ERA
The ERA replaces the paper version of the EOR. Humana delivers 5010 835 versions of all ERA remittance files that are compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Humana uses Availity® as the central gateway for delivery of 835 transactions. You can access your ERA through your clearinghouse or through the secure provider tools available at
Fees may be associated with ERA transactions. Check with your clearinghouse for specific rates.
Late or missing EFT and/or ERA resolution process
Humana must send your EFT and its associated ERA within 3 business days of each other. When you receive an EFT or ERA and a period of 4 business days elapses wherein you have not received the associated ERA or EFT, respectively, then the associated ERA or EFT is considered "late" or "missing." The information below outlines the process you should use when researching or resolving a late or missing EFT or ERA.
Late or missing EFT
If you received an ERA but did not receive the associated EFT within the following 3 business days, you should contact the Humana Provider Call Center at 800-448-6262 or Availity Essentials at 800-282-4548.
Late or missing ERA
If you received an EFT but did not receive the associated ERA within the following 3 business days, you should contact the clearinghouse responsible for distributing your ERA directly to you. If your clearinghouse cannot assist, you should call the Humana Provider Call Center at 800-448-6262 or Availity Essentials at 800-282-4548.
Virtual credit card payments
Humana teamed up with PNC Healthcare and ECHO Health, Inc. to pay claims to eligible healthcare providers via virtual credit card (VCC).
We will notify healthcare professionals and organizations prior to their enrollment in virtual card payments, and participants may opt out of the program by calling ECHO at 888-483-9212.
If you receive notification you’ve been entered into the virtual card program and you prefer to enroll in electronic remittance advice and electronic funds transfer (ERA/EFT) instead, please see the ERA/EFT enrollment information on this page and be sure to decline participation in the virtual card program by calling ECHO Health as soon as possible after receiving your virtual card program notification.
How virtual credit card payment works
VCC program participants will receive payment notification via fax or mail. Each notification contains a 16-digit number and remittance information for the claim(s) being paid. Process the virtual card as you do other card payments, by entering the 16-digit number and the full amount of the payment into your credit/debit point-of-sale (POS) terminal. You will pay your standard merchant fees, which include banking loyalty fees and Humana revenue share payments.
Dedicated help center for the VCC program
If you have questions about a VCC notification you received, wish to change your account setup, or want to decline participation in the program, call ECHO Health’s dedicated help center at 888-483-9212, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., Eastern time.