835 file anatomy
Open one 835 file and read its structure as an outline. Every segment is listed in file order under the part it belongs to, with its ID, its raw text, and one line saying what that kind of segment carries. Segment counts and control numbers are checked against the file's own trailers.
Your file never leaves this computer. It is read and processed inside this page, which is built so it cannot make network requests. It keeps working with your internet turned off.
Structure checks
What is in this file
Outline
Each row is one segment: its position in the file, its ID, the segment as it is in the file, and what that kind of segment carries. Reason and remark codes are shown as they appear; their descriptions are not included.
Segment IDs in this file
To read the same file claim by claim with each claim's balance, use the 835 viewer. For spreadsheets, use 835 to Excel.
What gets checked
- Each transaction: the number of segments placed in the outline equals the count in its trailer, and its control number matches at both ends.
- Group and interchange control numbers match their trailers, and the counts of transactions and groups agree.
- Every segment in the file is placed in the outline: segments placed equals segments in the file, and reading the outline top to bottom gives them in file order.
- Segment counts by ID add up to the number of segments in the file.
- Segment IDs with no label on this page are listed by name and count, and still appear in the outline as they are in the file.
How it works
- Choose the file. Drop one 835 file on the page. It is read by your browser and stays on your computer. The separators are read from the first segment, so files from any sender open the same way.
- Every segment is placed. The page walks the file once and puts each segment under the part it belongs to: interchange, functional group, payment, payer, payee, claim group, claim, or service line.
- The structure is checked. Segment counts and control numbers are compared with the trailers in the file, and a second pass over the finished outline confirms no segment was dropped or moved.
- Read the outline. Open or close any part. Each row shows the segment's position, ID, raw text, and a one-line label. Pick one segment ID to list only those segments, or read the table of IDs found in the file.
Worked example
A made-up file of 49 segments holding two payments and four claims. The first payment's part of the outline looks like this.
| Part of the outline | Segments directly in it | Nested parts |
|---|---|---|
| Interchange 000000101 | ISA … IEA | 1 functional group |
| Functional group 101 | GS … GE | 2 payments |
| Payment (transaction 0001) | ST, BPR, TRN, DTM … PLB, SE | Payer, Payee, Claim group 1 |
| Payer | N1, N3, N4, REF | none |
| Payee | N1, REF | none |
| Claim group 1 | LX | 3 claims |
| Claim PCN0001 | CLP, NM1, DTM, DTM | 2 service lines |
| Service line 1 | SVC, DTM, CAS, CAS, REF | none |
Transaction 0001 holds 35 segments in the outline and its trailer says 35; transaction 0002 holds 10 and its trailer says 10. With the two segments that open and close the group and the two for the interchange, that is all 49. The file has 4 claim segments, 3 service line segments, and 8 adjustment segments, and every segment ID in it has a label.
The example uses made-up names and numbers.
Questions
How do I read an 835 file?
An 835 is a list of short segments, each starting with a two or three character ID. They nest: an interchange holds groups, a group holds payments, a payment names its payer and payee and then lists claims, and each claim can list service lines. Adjustments sit under the claim or the service line they belong to. This page draws that nesting for the file you open.
Does my file get uploaded?
No. This page is served with a policy that blocks every kind of network request from the page, so it has no way to send your file anywhere. You can disconnect from the internet after the page loads and it still works.
How is this different from the 835 viewer and 835 to Excel?
The viewer reads claims: charge, adjustments, paid, and whether each claim balances. 835 to Excel turns the file into spreadsheet tables. This page does neither; it shows the raw segments and where each one sits in the file's structure.
What happens with a segment ID the page does not know?
It is kept in the outline in its place with its raw text, marked as having no label, and named with its count in a notice above the outline and in the checks.
Does it explain reason codes and remark codes?
No. Codes are shown exactly as they appear in the file. The labels describe what kind of segment each ID is, in our own words, and the published code description text is not included.
This tool calculates and checks numbers. It is not legal, tax, or medical advice.