Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) FAQ
Guidance for FAQ regarding 834 Transaction and Companion Guide
Program Area: Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP)
Question: If an employer makes multiple updates on the same day to information (phone number, address), will the issuer receive those changes as a single 834 transaction or multiple 834 transactions?
Answer: The Federally-facilitated Small Business Health Options Program (FF-SHOP) will send all changes as separate transactions except for; 1) name changes of dependents, 2) mailing address changes of employees/dependents, and 3) contact information updates of employees/dependents. The FF-SHOP will combine these three transactions on a single transaction in 3 different loops because the changes are all entered on a single screen within the FF-SHOP user interface (UI). All other changes are initiated separately from life status change UI screens. Because more than one life status change could be entered on a single day, issuers may receive multiple maintenance transactions when this scenario occurs. Each transaction is time-stamped, so issuers should assume the last maintenance transaction is the one that should be updated in an issuer's system.
Issued by: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Issue Date: September 05, 2014
HHS is committed to making its websites and documents accessible to the widest possible audience, including individuals with disabilities. We are in the process of retroactively making some documents accessible. If you need assistance accessing an accessible version of this document, please reach out to the guidance@hhs.gov.
DISCLAIMER: The contents of this database lack the force and effect of law, except as authorized by law (including Medicare Advantage Rate Announcements and Advance Notices) or as specifically incorporated into a contract. The Department may not cite, use, or rely on any guidance that is not posted on the guidance repository, except to establish historical facts.