📝 Overview
Efficiently managing electronic remittance advice (ERA) is a vital part of the billing workflow in ChiroHD. This guide will walk you through setting up ERA connections, how ERA files are automatically delivered, and how to manually upload them when needed.
ERA Setup: Starting With Your Clearinghouse
Before ChiroHD can retrieve ERA files, your clearinghouse must be configured to send them to your SFTP location. This setup must be completed directly with your clearinghouse.
ChiroHD currently supports direct integrations with the following Clearinghouses:
Office Ally
TriZetto
Availity
Contact your clearinghouse to request SFTP credentials (a username and password for SFTP access). These are not the same credentials you use to log into your clearinghouse portal. You must explicitly ask your clearinghouse for SFTP credentials. Using your portal login will not work and the connection will fail.
Getting ERA set up can take time depending on your payer. Start this process as early as possible.
Configuring ERA in ChiroHD
Once you have your SFTP credentials from your clearinghouse:
Navigate to your Live Location, Settings, Initial Setup, Integrations, Clearinghouse.
Under Please select your clearing house, choose your clearinghouse from the dropdown.
Scroll down to the SFTP Settings section.
Enter your SFTP Username and SFTP Password.
Toggle on ERA Auto Allocation.
Set your ERA Sync Start Date.
ChiroHD will retrieve all ERA files on or after this date that are still present on your clearinghouse's SFTP server.
You can backdate this if needed.
For example, if you enable ERA on December 1st but set the sync start date to November 14th, ChiroHD will pull all files from November 14th forward.Files that have already been removed from the clearinghouse SFTP server cannot be retrieved this way — for those, you'll need to download and manually upload them instead.
NOTE: If you've already manually entered EOBs for claims in that date range, backdating may result in duplicate ERA files being retrieved. Review your Pending EOBs queue carefully after changing this date.
Click Save Configuration.
Once credentials are saved, click Test SFTP Configuration to verify they're valid.
If the test fails, contact your clearinghouse to confirm the credentials are correct.
How Automatic ERA Delivery Works
Once your SFTP connection is configured,ChiroHD checks your clearinghouse for new ERA files approximately every 30 minutes. Depending on when the file becomes available, it may take up to 30 minutes to appear in ChiroHD.
A claim status of Sent to Clearinghouse only confirms that the claim was successfully transmitted. An ERA will not be available until the insurance payer has processed (adjudicated) the claim and sent the ERA back through your clearinghouse.
Accepted File Types by Clearinghouse
ChiroHD accepts different file formats depending on your configured clearinghouse.
Clearinghouse | Accepted File Extensions |
Availity | .835 |
Office Ally | .835 |
Trizetto | .rmt |
All clearinghouses | .zip (contents extracted automatically) |
If a file's extension doesn't match your configured clearinghouse, ChiroHD will store the file but will not process it and it will not appear in the ERA list. No error is shown. If you upload a file and nothing appears, check the file extension first.
PDF files are not accepted. This is one of the most common upload mistakes. Many clearinghouses provide both a PDF summary and the actual ERA file — the PDF is for viewing only. Always download the actual ERA file in .835, .zip, or .rmt format.
When Manual Uploads are Needed
Most ERA files arrive automatically once SFTP is configured.
You'll need to upload manually when:
The payer doesn't support automated ERA delivery
SFTP hasn't been configured yet
You need a past ERA file that's no longer on the clearinghouse SFTP server
Your clearinghouse isn't one of the three officially supported clearinghouses
How to Upload an ERA Manually
Navigate to your Live Location, Insurance Tab, which takes you to your Insurance Dashboard.
In the ERAs section toward the bottom, click Upload ERA.
In the Upload ERA window, drag and drop your file onto the upload area, or click Browse For File.
Once a file is selected, the File Name field auto-populates with the file name. You can edit this to something easier to identify later.
Click Upload.
ChiroHD will queue the file for processing. It will initially appear under the Failed tab while processing runs.
If processing succeeds, it moves to the Processed tab automatically, and the resulting EOB(s) will appear in your Pending EOBs queue for review.
NOTE: Only one ERA file can be uploaded at a time. If multiple files are selected, you'll see an error.
✅ Key takeaways
ERA automation in ChiroHD streamlines and simplifies EOB management when properly configured.
Work directly with your clearinghouse to obtain dedicated SFTP credentials for secure file transfer.
Only supported file formats (.835, .zip, .rmt) can be uploaded or synced; PDFs will not process.
Manual upload is available and necessary if your clearinghouse is unsupported or missing files from its SFTP.
Always upload one ERA file at a time to avoid errors.
📌 Conclusion
Configuring ERA delivery in ChiroHD empowers you to benefit from automated remittance workflows and timely EOB processing—enhancing efficiency and reducing manual errors. Follow these steps to ensure your ERA files are properly synced or uploaded, and review each processed ERA for finalization.