III. NUBC METHODOLOGY FOR REQUESTS FOR CHANGE

A. Change requests must be submitted in writing in the format developed by the NUBC to the NUBC chair or secretary.

B. The request for change should include:

1. Whether the request was brought before the SUBC;
2. Field location(s) and/or data element(s) impacted;
3. A clear description of the change being requested;
4. The reason and justification for the change being requested;
5. The payback, either in terms of cost and/or legislative compliance; and
6. Information illustrating and supporting the change being requested.

C. Requests for change must provide sufficient documentation to show that the requested change for information is necessary because it affects a majority of the providers or payers in the respective state or region; and that failure to adopt the change will cause significant delay in claims processing or hardship for the providers or payers.

D. Comments and supporting documentation for the change being requested will be reviewed at a NUBC meeting (or circulated to NUBC members, as appropriate) for consideration. A response to the requestor of the change will be made within a reasonable amount of time. The request for change will normally be scheduled for NUBC discussion and consideration at the next scheduled NUBC meeting or NUBC conference call.

E. Any changes adopted by the NUBC will be communicated to all state hospital associations and SUBC chairpersons as revisions to the National UB-92 Data Element Manual.

F. Request for specific changes may only be submitted quarterly to the NUBC chairperson unless an emergency situation is justified.

G. The NUBC secretary will notify SUBCs of other changes being considered to the NUBC data set, coding structure, paper format, and/or EDI field attributes requesting written SUBC comments to be submitted prior to the next scheduled NUBC meeting or conference call.

Requests that are not approved by the NUBC will include the reason for disapproval along with any specific recommendations