Which of the following best describes header data on UB-04?

• A. The list of service lines and their charges.
• B. The patient, payer, and encounter information.
• C. The diagnosis pointers for lines.
• D. The service units for lines.

Answer: (B)

On the UB-04 form, the header data is the administrative information that identifies the patient, the payer, and the specific encounter being billed. This includes patient demographics, patient control number, payer name and policy details, dates of admission and discharge, type of bill, and facility information. This data establishes who the patient is, who is responsible for payment, and which encounter the claim relates to, which is essential for routing, processing, and adjudication.

The other parts of the form contain the actual service details. The list of service lines and their charges is the line-item section, not the header. Diagnosis pointers and any diagnostic references are tied to those service lines, indicating which diagnoses apply to which services, and service units are also recorded on the line items. So the header is specifically about identifying and attributing the claim to the patient, payer, and encounter, while the lines section handles the services, units, and charges.