The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is consolidating Medicare data center operations at more than 20 facilities into four state-of-the-art Enterprise Data Centers (EDCs). The new data centers will help Medicare accommodate a growing claims volume, standardize operations, expand electronic services, bolster security, and lower costs by hundreds of millions of dollars over the next 10 years.

CMS plans to transfer operations for all fee-for-service Medicare claims to the EDCs in staggered workloads by September 2008. The data centers used by Highmark Medicare Services (Arkansas Data Center for MD/DC Part A business, Highmark Data Center for PA Part A and Part B business) will be transitioned later this summer to the Companion Data Services (CDS) Data Center. In preparation of the transition to the EDC, Highmark Medicare Services will be providing the CDS with all active Fiscal Intermediary Standard System (FISS) users first name, last name, middle initial if applicable, user type, provider number, telephone number and a new unique Personal Identification Number (PIN) (which will be randomly selected by Highmark Medicare Services).

Please note: with the EDC transition, we are required to issue a new randomly assigned PIN for each system user. The new FISS User ID, password, and the 4-digit PIN will be communicated to all active FISS Users via a hardcopy letter.

Once the new User ID, password, and 4-digit PIN have been established, you will be required to provide your PIN, when requesting password resets.

For new user requests, it is imperative that the user’s e-mail address be made available on the FISS Logon ID Request form.

For staff that already has an active Highmark Medicare Services Logon ID, you will not need to do anything at this time.

Periodic communications will follow as due dates are established that require your action.