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Submitting and Storing Forms

Learn best practices for submitting, storing, and keeping form information secure.

I'm submitting an OCF. How do I make sure it gets to the correct Insurer?

When an OCF is sent to an Insurer, HCAI automatically searches existing claimants for a ‘perfect match’ and places the OCF in the correct adjuster’s worklist. It bases this match on the following five criteria:

  • Claim Number

  • Policy Number

  • Gender

  • Claimant Date of Birth

  • Claim Date of Accident

If the gender, date of birth, and date of accident plus either the claim or policy number are present in both the OCF and the claimant record, HCAI considers the OCF and the claimant to be a ‘perfect match’ and will automatically file it in the correct worklist.

If some of these matching elements are present, HCAI will generate a list of possible matches, and someone will have to manually link them together. If the Insurer investigates and cannot produce a match, they may decline the form and send it back to your Facility.

You can smooth the submission process by accurately entering the five matching elements to the best of your ability. For example, while HCAI only requires either the claim number OR the policy number, entering both if known can help generate a match the first time.

Best practices for submitting and storing forms


Protect your patients’ personal health information by following these steps:

  1. Send OCFs to the correct Insurer

    Do your best to facilitate matching, outlined above. Send the OCFs to the correct insurance company and branch, as provided by the claimant.

  2. Keep HCAI data secure

    Access to HCAI must be restricted. Only authorized users should have access to the HCAI system. Do not share HCAI passwords. In addition, you should never fax OCFs to HCAI. This puts your patients’ personal health information at risk. The only way to submit an OCF-18, 23, or 21 is via HCAI’s online system.

  3. Print and sign OCFs

    All completed and submitted OCFs must be printed and signed by the appropriate Providers and, in some cases, the claimant. Keep these on file at your Facility - FSCO or the insurer may request to see them. Do not pre-sign blank OCFs!

  4. Store printed OCFs in a safe place

    Don’t leave printed OCFs unattended. Store them securely at your Facility.

  5. Delete old OCF drafts

    Drafts older than one year typically do not reflect the most current version of the OCF and may not be editable. In addition, old drafts containing patient information left in the system could lead to a privacy breach. OCF drafts older than one year should be deleted on a regular basis to ensure you’re working off the correct OCF version. Learn more about drafts by visiting Track my OCF.