Error when entering Provider Number

Provider number less than 8 digits

Problem

When typing a Provider Number into a practitioner's Address Book record, Gentu gives you the following notification:

• "Invalid format. Please enter 6 digits, 1 location value and a check digit".

Cause

As the notification states, a provider number needs to be a total of eight digits long.

Solution

If the provider number has less than eight digits, you can pad it out by adding one or more zeroes (0) to the beginning of the provider number.

Check digit is incorrect

Problem

When typing a Provider Number into a practitioner's Address Book record, Gentu gives you the following notification:

• "Check digit 'X' is incorrect. Did you mean 'Z'?".*

*(Where 'X' is the digit you entered, and 'Z' is the suggestion Gentu provides.)

Cause

Gentu uses Medicare's provider number verification algorithm to check the validity of a provider number.

If Gentu advises that a provider number is incorrect, it is because Medicare's own checking algorithm deems this provider number to be incorrectly formatted.

Solution

If Gentu advises you that a provider number is not correct, we recommend that you contact the practitioner in question and confirm their correct provider number.

If the practitioner confirms their provider number is correct, you must contact Medicare to confirm the provider number in question is correctly formatted.

Please note that Gentu is not able to override this check and accept an incorrectly formatted provider number. The provider numbers entered into Gentu must pass Medicare's validation to be accepted.