Invalid patient social security number is one of the highest instances of fatal errors each quarter across the Compass program. Here are some things to keep in mind regarding this field in your data:
- Per the state mandate, Patient Social Security Number is a required data element on all claims.
- An invalid patient SSN or missing patient SSN will trigger the fatal error, “SocialSecurityNumberInvalid”, in the Star system.
- If a SSN could not be obtained from the patient, using a value of “999999999” will pass the audit system. This is the only value accepted by Compass and THCIC for a default or generic patient SSN to pass the audit.
- Remember, THCIC expects a 0% error rate, so all invalid SSNs will have to be corrected eventually. Please correct these SSN errors in the Star system so you don’t have to worry about them later downstream in the System 13 platform.
- There are rules to how SSNs are formatted, and some numbers have been ruled invalid by the Social Security Administration, for various reasons. The Star platform has been programmed to flag these invalid SSNs that might seem legitimate upon first look. If you receive a fatal error for a patient SSN that “looks valid”, feel free to reach out to the Stratasan or THA Compass support teams for help.
Please email compasssupport@tha.org with any questions or for help. And thank you for supporting the THA Compass data program.