What is a Patient Control Number (PCN)?

What is a Patient Control Number (PCN)?

• A. A permanent alphanumeric identifier assigned by a facility.
• B. Unique alphanumeric identifier assigned by a provider to facilitate retrieval of individual case records and posting of payments and correspondence.
• C. A field identifying the type of bill (TOB).
• D. A code used for patient eligibility.

Answer: (B)

The Patient Control Number is a unique alphanumeric code created by the provider to tie together all parts of one patient’s claim. It serves as a quick way to retrieve that specific case in the provider’s records, and to match and post payments and correspondence to the right file. This identifier travels with the claim so both the facility and the payer can reference the exact case during processing, review, and follow-up. This concept is distinct from a facility identifier or a code that designates the type of bill, and from any code used to determine patient eligibility. Those other elements serve different purposes, such as identifying the submitting facility or classifying the claim, whereas the PCN is specifically about internal tracking and cross-referencing the individual patient case across records and payments.

The Patient Control Number is a unique alphanumeric code created by the provider to tie together all parts of one patient’s claim. It serves as a quick way to retrieve that specific case in the provider’s records, and to match and post payments and correspondence to the right file. This identifier travels with the claim so both the facility and the payer can reference the exact case during processing, review, and follow-up.

This concept is distinct from a facility identifier or a code that designates the type of bill, and from any code used to determine patient eligibility. Those other elements serve different purposes, such as identifying the submitting facility or classifying the claim, whereas the PCN is specifically about internal tracking and cross-referencing the individual patient case across records and payments.