Understanding and resolving common MCReF error codes

While the Medicare Cost Report E-Filing system (MCReF) is an essential tool for healthcare providers submitting Medicare cost reports, users often encounter error codes that can delay submissions or lead to rejections. Understanding these error codes used by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) helps streamline the process, reduce rejections, and improve the likelihood of timely acceptance.

Common MCReF error codes — their meanings and resolutions

F104: Missing primary payor

What it means

This error occurs when a record with an insurance status of two or three does not have a primary payor listed. Insurance status two indicates a secondary payer situation, while insurance status three refers to insured patients.

How to address it

• Verify the insurance status for all records.
• Ensure that all records with status two or three include a primary payor in the corresponding field.
• Double-check the data entry for formatting issues or omissions.

F106: Patient bad debt write-off amounts

What it means

The recorded patient bad debt write-off amount exceeds the calculated maximum, which is derived from a formula involving hospital charges, payments, and allowances.

How to address it

• Recalculate the bad debt write-off amount for accuracy.
• Adjust the reported amount to fall within the calculated maximum threshold.
• Cross-check all payment and allowance data to ensure no errors have inflated the write-off amount.

F24: Incomplete record

What it means

A record is missing critical information such as the patient’s name, Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) or Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN), service dates, or the claimed bad debt amount.