Sending payment files

What is ECG and how does it handle the payment files?

As previously stated, we can think of ECG as the communications gateway to submit the payment batch files. Your ECG location is created during the payer onboarding process as well as your file configuration. When files are submitted, ECG scans the submitted files for any security issues then you will provide your login credentials (username and password) allowing the payment files to be submitted to us for processing.

Optum Connections will suggest the file name format for you so it's not necessary to follow any set naming convention guidelines. The naming format is determined during the onboarding process based on the configuration level you chose. This method ensures the file name is accurate and eliminates the possibility of incorrect naming conventions being used or incorrect naming modifications that could delay timely payment processing. Both your individual ECG location and the file naming format allow us to determine the file type being submitted.

Upon completion of payment processing, the configured output location will contain the output file format using the file name formatting. The AP/recon files include the following:

• The success file which will have the name of the other files
• The ctl file which has details about the number of payments and other file details
• The AP file in a compressed format

File types

Payers are able to submit a variety of file types including:

• Funding file - This is an associated file used to validate the payment information being sent in the payment file. Note that if a payer is configured to send the funding file, then until the funding file is received, the payment file will not be processed.
• EOB - EOBs are submitted as a ZIP file which will contain multiple PDFs. If we do not receive EOBs for a payer which is configured for EOBs then a payment file will still be processed.