News and Announcements

DID YOU KNOW?

A practice code number or PCN Is required by providers of healthcare services in South Africa, Namibia and Lesotho to:

• Identify the type of healthcare service being rendered
• Ensure that the supplier of service has the required valid accreditation from the relevant authorities as assurance of
  legitimacy of claims submitted against the PCN
• Promote a uniform, national and accredited health service
  provider identifier for billing purposes
• Ensure the utilisation of and access to practice code numbers
  are transparent, fair and equitable

As a precautionary measure under Level 4 of the lock-down, the PCNS team will continue to work remotely, at full capacity. Until further notice, please EMAIL all PCNS forms and related documents to applications to pcns_admin@bhfglobal.com. Other enquiries, EMAIL to clientservices@bhfglobal.com

DATE: 02 April 2020

Real-time access to practice numbers and healthcare service provider data is now possible with PCNS 2.0, a new website for the Practice Code Numbering System (PCNS) recently launched by the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF).

Additional value-added services include online user registration (for funding organisations) and secure online payment of annual licensing fees for the renewal of practice numbers (for service providers).

The new features and functionality are part of the second phase of a major system revamp, which was initiated by BHF’s PCNS division last year to ensure greater transparency between providers of healthcare services and the funding industry.

For healthcare service providers, secure online payment of annual licensing fees through the new PCNS website is a major improvement. The new e-commerce feature not only aligns a vital part of the process, it also ensures that contact information remains current and valid.

Annual renewals are required to keep service provider information up to date and ensure ongoing access to and use of practice numbers, including all associated services. However, the procedure to effect this renewal was predominantly a manual process and an administrative burden – one which members often found fault with.

As of April 2020, payment of renewal fees is just a keyboard stroke away. Healthcare service providers can simply log in to the new PCNS website, update the required account information and effect online payment of annual licensing fees.

With the PCNS 2.0 website (https://www.pcns.co.za), members also have real-time, instantaneous access to all data needed to verify practice numbers and process claim reimbursements.

Until now, users who needed to verify that a practice exists in order to process a claim experienced a 24-hour information delay. This, in turn, resulted in corresponding hold-ups with the actual processing of claims. The new PCNS 2.0 search facility operates in real time, which means that there is no delay in obtaining information.

Lastly, user registration for healthcare funding organisations has also been expedited, streamlined and simplified. Companies no longer need to contact the PCN division at BHF in order to gain access to the system. With the PCNS 2.0 website user registration can now be done online, with account approval for all new registrations done within 24 hours (business days only).

ATTENTION FUNDING ORGANISATIONS

Improved security protocols and new database technologies employed as part of the new development also meant that old user accounts could not be transferred to the new system. As a result, all healthcare funding organisations will have to re-register on the new PCNS 2.0 website at https://www.pcns.co.za in order to gain access to all the new functionalities.

Existing users should also reset browser bookmarks to the new URL – https://www.pcns.co.za – thereby ensuring they don’t access the old system by default. Both new and old systems will be running in parallel for a short period, in order to ease the transition to PCNS 2.0.

Effective 1 May 2021, the new PCNS contact centre number will be 087 210 0500. If you require more information, visit https://www.pcns.co.za or get in touch with the PCNS team via email at clientservices@bhfglobal.com.