2018 Supplemental

Administrative Lab Data

Submission Guide

DataSubmit@Healthfirst.org
Healthfirst, NY

3/1/2018

Proprietary and Confidential to Healthfirst—Not for Redisclosure

 Smoking Cessation
2018 Supplemental Administrative Lab Data Submission Guide

Table of Contents

What’s New. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Laboratory Data Submission Quick Steps.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) Account Set-up.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Submitting a File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

File Format Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Laboratory File Layout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Helpful Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

2 | Proprietary and Confidential to Healthfirst—Not for Redisclosure

2018 Supplemental Administrative
Lab Data Submission Guide

What’s New?
■■ We are encouraging sites to use measure acronyms (e.g.,
LAB_SITENAME_COL_MMDDYYYY, LAB_SITENAME_CCS_
MMDDYYYY, LAB_SITENAME_CHL_MMDDYYYY, etc.) as part
of the file name. The measure acronym can be found in your
monthly Member’s Missing Services report (Acronym column
name). Doing so will allow the DataSubmit team to provide
feedback on the impact your files are having.

■■ You will now receive email notifications when you place a file
outside of the required TO HF folder. You will keep receiving the
email notification until the file is either moved to the required
TO HF folder or removed from the account.

■■ You will also receive email notifications when nonstandard names

are used. These files will be rejected from the production load.
You will have a chance to resubmit your file using a valid name.

■■ We are no longer accepting comma delimited files. The

automated system does not support files with this format. We are
still accepting files in Excel, tab delimited, and pipe delimited.

■■ Files received with additional columns will be rejected from the

production load. Submitters will receive an email notification
advising that their submission was not processed and validated.

Proprietary and Confidential to Healthfirst—Not for Redisclosure | 3

 Smoking Cessation
2018 Supplemental Administrative Lab Data Submission Guide

Laboratory Data Submission Quick Steps

The Supplemental Administrative Laboratory Data Submission Guide

provides instructions for sending Lab data to Healthfirst.

1. R
 equest set-up for your required Healthfirst-administered Secure
File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) account (a one-time-only activity):

■■ Send an email to datasubmit@healthfirst.org requesting an

Account Setup so you can send your file to Healthfirst. Be sure to
include your full contact information, including phone number.

■■ In response, Healthfirst will send you an email that provides the
information you need to log in to your Healthfirst-administered
Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) account, into which you will
drop your file(s)

The email also contains information for preparing files according

to Healthfirst format requirements.

Once your account is set up, there is no need to notify Healthfirst

via email that you are submitting data. After you submit your file
via the Healthfirst SFTP, you will receive an email confirming that
Healthfirst has received the file. However, if you do not receive a
notification email from datasubmit@healthfirst.org within one hour,
contact datasubmit@healthfirst.org and inquire about your file
submission.

2. P
 repare your file. Note: These format instructions are for Lab
data submissions only. Do not use them for ENCOUNTER data
submissions. Send a request for the Encounter Data Submission
Guide to datasubmit@healthfirst.org.

Prepare your file in text (tab delimited or pipe delimited) or Excel

format (see Format Instructions starting on page 9).

3. 
Submit the file to Healthfirst
Log in to your SFTP account and submit the file to Healthfirst
(see Submission Steps on page 8). Healthfirst will validate your file
to determine the format and content for use in production.

In response, you will receive an email confirming that Healthfirst

has received the file. Below is the general language added for
email notifications for validated files that did not return any
rejections/errors.

4 | Proprietary and Confidential to Healthfirst—Not for Redisclosure

 Total
FileName Rejected Passed
Records
LAB_SITENAME_03012018.xlsx 2 0 0

4. Receive and respond to email notification

■■ W
 hen the results indicate all format and content criteria are
met, your file is qualified for production. No response is
necessary.

■■ If the results indicate deficiencies in format and/or content,

Healthfirst will provide you with feedback identifying what
needs correction.

o Deficiencies in format

• D
 atasubmit@healthfirst.org will send an email
detailing why your file was not validated and
processed in production

o Deficiencies in content
• D
 atasubmit@healthfirst.org will send an email
with language and grid similar to previous sample
(see below grid with rejections). Language will be
added to remind you to go into your SFTP account
to extract the rejection file. The rejection file will
have an additional column, ERROR_SUMMARY,
providing you with the reason(s) for rejection.

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 Smoking Cessation
2018 Supplemental Administrative Lab Data Submission Guide

Laboratory Data Submission

Quick Steps (continued)

Total
FileName Rejected Passed
Records
LAB_SITENAME_03012018.xlsx 10 5 5

FileName

LAB_SITENAME_03012018.errors.csv

Please log in to your SFTP account and access the /FROM HF folder to
find the rejection file(s).

■■ After fixing the errors in your file, you can resubmit. Please remember
not to use the same file name. Please add a V2, a B, or a different date
(e.g., LAB_SITENAME_03012018V2 or LAB_SITENAME_03012018B).
The automated process will not process files already validated.

6 | Proprietary and Confidential to Healthfirst—Not for Redisclosure

 SFTP Account Set-up [one-time-only]
1. S
 end an email to datasubmit@healthfirst.org requesting an Account
Setup so you can submit a file via the Healthfirst-administered
Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) application.
■■ Be sure to include your full contact information:

a) Tax ID
b) Practice or site name
c) Contact first and last name
d) Contact email
e) Contact phone number
■■ In return, you will receive an email containing:

a) Your Healthfirst-assigned username

b) A link to the Healthfirst-administered SFTP login screen
c) Steps to obtain your password
d) Instructions on how to prepare files in the required format
e) Steps to submit your file using the SFTP application
2. Obtain your password.
3. Use the link provided in the email to download instructions and
requirements for the file formatting and submitting your file.
4. Use the link to go to the Healthfirst-administered SFTP login screen:

Please bookmark the login screen (https://hfftp.healthfirst.org/thinclient/) for quick access.

Proprietary and Confidential to Healthfirst—Not for Redisclosure | 7

 Smoking Cessation
2018 Supplemental Administrative Lab Data Submission Guide

Submitting a File
1. P
 repare your file in the required format.
2. L
 og in to your Healthfirst SFTP account.

3. C
 lick the To HF link.

a. A directory displays

4. L
 ocate and select the file(s) you want to submit by first clicking on
Upload Files (it’s the green and gray button on the top left hand side of
your screen). Browse your files and select your submissions. You can
submit as many as five files at once. See below:

5. Click Upload.

6. Log out.

8 | Proprietary and Confidential to Healthfirst—Not for Redisclosure

File Format Instructions
Please do not use these layout instructions for submitting Encounter
data. Send a request for the Encounter Data Submission Guide to
datasubmit@healthfirst.org.

The input file must be a text-formatted (tab and pipe delimited)

file with .txt as the file extension or an Excel file with*. xlsx or xls file
extensions. For example, LAB_SITENAME_03012018.txt or
LAB_SITENAME_03012018.xlsx. Do not include periods (.),
hyphens (-), or spaces in the file name. Also, please do not name
your files LAB_PROVIDER, as these will be completely rejected.
Please use proper naming convention.

■■ Follow the layout and field length descriptions in the File Layout
Requirements chart on page 12

■■ Blank values are acceptable for non-required fields

■■ Lengths of values per column should not exceed those defined

in the File Layout Requirements chart

Please follow these best practices:

1. Remove all duplicate records from the file you submit.

2. Do not use commas within cell values. For example, in the
prov_nam column, submit the ordering physician’s full name as
JOHN DOE. Do not enter it as DOE, JOHN.

3. Y
 our output file must contain all fields shown on the File Layout chart,
even if you are submitting blank values for non-required columns.
Fields must be in the order specified on the File Layout tab.

4. Use upper case for all characters.

5. Try not to send more than 1 million records in one file.

6. Do not send blank rows or blank columns.

Proprietary and Confidential to Healthfirst—Not for Redisclosure | 9

 Smoking Cessation
2018 Supplemental Administrative Lab Data Submission Guide

File Format Instructions (continued)

HEDIS-related Test Names Values:

■■ Specific values within the TESTNAME field are required to be

interpreted towards HEDIS compliance. You may not be able to
provide the Test Name values directly from electronic lab systems.
You can use these Test Names’ exact values, used frequently to
identify HEDIS-related tests, or contact datasubmit@healthfirst.org
if you have any questions regarding valid test names.

■■ Do not use variations of test names. Always use the same value
for test names provided on the grid (page 11).

10 | Proprietary and Confidential to Healthfirst—Not for Redisclosure

 Frequently Used HEDIS-related Test Names Values

DESCRIPTION TESTNAME RESULTUNITS NOTES

Insert the “mg/dL” value into

the RESULTUNITS field if
HbA1C
HbA1C mg/dL submitting HbA1c levels in this
Screening/Result
unit of measurement
(e.g., “140”)

Insert the “PERCENT” value

into the RESULTUNITS field if
HbA1C
HbA1C PERCENT submitting HbA1c levels in this
Screening/Result
unit of measurement
(e.g., “6.5”)

Cholesterol Whole numbers only

Cholesterol LDL
Screening/Result (e.g., “95”)

“Trace” urine macroalbumin

Urine Macroalbumin Test URINE PROTEIN test results are not considered
numerator compliant

C.TRACHOMATIS No RESULT or RESULTUNITS

Chlamydia Screening
CULTURE values necessary

Group A No RESULT or RESULTUNITS

Culture Group A Strep
Streptococcus Test values necessary

Cervical Cancer No RESULT or RESULTUNITS

Pap Smear
Screening values necessary

Colorectal Cancer No RESULT or RESULTUNITS

OCCULT BLOOD
Screening values necessary

HIV RNA Viral Load by No RESULT or RESULTUNITS

HIV Viral Load
RT - PCR values necessary

No RESULT or RESULTUNITS
Lead Screening LEAD
values necessary

No RESULT or RESULTUNITS
Syphilis Screening SYPHILIS SCREEN
values necessary

Blood Urea Nitrogen No RESULT or RESULTUNITS

BLOOD UREA
Therapeutic Monitoring Test values necessary

Drug Serum Concentration No RESULT or RESULTUNITS

CARBAMAZEPINE
for Carbamazepine values necessary

Creatinine Therapeutic No RESULT or RESULTUNITS

CREATININE
Monitoring Test values necessary

Drug Serum No RESULT or RESULTUNITS

PHENYTOIN
Concentration for Phenytoin values necessary

No RESULT or RESULTUNITS
Potassium Monitoring Test POTASSIUM
values necessary

Drug Serum Concentration No RESULT or RESULTUNITS

PHENOBARBITAL
for Phenobarbital values necessary

Proprietary and Confidential to Healthfirst—Not for Redisclosure | 11

 2018 Supplemental Administrative Lab Data Submission Guide

Laboratory File Layout

Do not use these layout instructions for submitting Encounter data. Please
send a request for the Encounter Data Submission Guide
to datasubmit@healthfirst.org.

12 | Proprietary and Confidential to Healthfirst—Not for Redisclosure

Helpful Tips
To avoid common errors:

■■ Do not use these layout instructions for submitting Encounter

data. Send a request for the Encounter Data Submission Guide to
datasubmit@healthfirst.org.

■■ Your output file must contain all fields shown on the File Layout
chart, even if you are submitting blank values for non-required
columns. Fields must be in the order specified on the File Layout tab.

■■ Use uppercase for all characters.

■■ Do not send blank rows or blank columns.

■■ If you are using systems other than Excel to create your output, make
sure the system doesn’t generate extra lines or characters.

■■ Remove all duplicates from the file you submit

■■ When providing results for a test that requires a numeric result,

ONLY submit numeric values in the RESULT field. Do not include any
non-numeric values.

For example, for test HbA1c, submit a percent result as:

TESTNAME RESULT RESULTUNIT
HbA1C 8.1 %
Do not submit the result this way:
TESTNAME RESULT RESULTUNIT
HbA1C 8.1%

■■ It is acceptable to submit non-numeric result values if those are

appropriate for the test (e.g., done, negative, positive). For example:

TESTNAME RESULT RESULTUNIT

Throat culture Done
ABS Positive

■■ Avoid the use of special characters. For example, letters with accents,
foreign characters, currency symbols, math symbols, fractions, other
punctuation.

■■ Date values should be formatted exactly as specified in the File

Layout requirements under DOS (date of service).

■■ Contact datasubmit@healthfirst.org for any questions/concerns on

how to submit your data.

Proprietary and Confidential to Healthfirst—Not for Redisclosure | 13

 Notes

14 | Proprietary and Confidential to Healthfirst—Not for Redisclosure

Proprietary and Confidential to Healthfirst—Not for Redisclosure | 15
Healthfirst is the brand name used for products and services provided by one or more of the Healthfirst group of affiliated companies.

Healthfirst Health Plan, Inc., dba Healthfirst Medicare Plan, is an HMO plan with a Medicare contract and a contract with the New York
Medicaid program. Enrollment in Healthfirst Medicare Plan depends on contract renewal.

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