How to move insurance and payer details between EHRs
To move insurance and payer details between EHRs, set up each payer in the new system first, map every old payer to one new payer, move client policies as structured fields where the export allows, and check sample clients before you bill from the new system. What arrives as fields and what arrives as documents depends on what your current EHR exports.
- Set up payers in the new EHR first, then map each old payer to one new payer.
- Client policies (subscriber, member ID, group number, order of coverage) move best as structured fields.
- Authorizations may arrive as fields or as documents, so check them on sample clients.
What insurance data does an EHR hold?
| Data | What it holds | How it can move |
|---|---|---|
| Payer list | Each insurance payer you bill, with its payer ID and claim address | Set up in the new EHR, then mapped |
| Client policies | Subscriber, member ID, group number, relationship and order of coverage | Structured fields, if the export includes them |
| Authorizations | Approved service, units or sessions, start and end dates | Fields or documents, depending on the export |
| Insurance cards | Front and back images | Documents attached to the client |
| Eligibility checks | Past check results | Archive, or move as documents |
How do you move insurance and payer details?
Step 1: List every payer and policy in the old system
Export the payer list and a count of active client policies by payer. These counts are what you check against after the move.
Step 2: Set up payers in the new EHR
Set up each payer you still bill in the new system, with its payer ID and claim address, before any client data moves. Your clearinghouse or new EHR vendor can confirm the payer IDs to use.
Step 3: Map old payers to new payers
Match every payer in the old system to one payer in the new one. If the old system holds the same payer under two names, map both to the same new payer. Add the payer map to your field mapping document.
Step 4: Map client policy fields
Map subscriber name, subscriber date of birth, relationship to client, member ID, group number, effective dates and order of coverage. Decide what happens to inactive policies: move them as history or keep them in the archive.
Step 5: Decide how authorizations move
Check whether your export includes authorizations as fields (approved service, units, dates) or only as documents. If they arrive as documents, list the active ones and enter them in the new system before the next claim needs them.
Step 6: Check sample clients before you bill
In the sample migration, include clients with primary and secondary coverage, an active authorization and a recent policy change, and compare each one with the old system. Then confirm that active policy counts by payer match.
What should billing check after the move?
- Every active client has the right primary and secondary policy.
- Active policy counts by payer match the old system.
- Active authorizations show the right service, remaining units and end date.
- Insurance card images are attached to the right client.
- The first claims from the new system go to the right payer.
Frequently asked questions
Do insurance details move automatically when you switch EHRs?
Insurance details move when your current EHR exports them and each field is mapped. Payers are set up in the new system first, then client policies are mapped to them field by field.
What is a payer ID?
A payer ID is the code a clearinghouse uses to route an electronic claim to the right insurance payer. Confirm payer IDs with your clearinghouse or new EHR vendor when you set up payers.
What happens to authorizations when you switch EHRs?
It depends on your export. Authorizations may arrive as structured fields or only as documents. List active authorizations before cutover so each one is in the new system before the next claim needs it.
Should inactive insurance policies move?
Move what billing needs to work open claims and answer questions about past coverage, and keep the rest in the archive. Legacy EHR data archiving covers what to keep read-only.
Once policies are in place, move client balances as opening balances at cutover. Terms like payer ID and authorization are defined in the EHR migration glossary.
How Ferry helps
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