In Block 14, what should be done for Medicare claims?

In Block 14, what should be done for Medicare claims?

• A. Leave blank.
• B. Enter the current date.
• C. Enter the date of injury.
• D. Enter the date of last visit.

Answer: (B)

Block 14 asks for the Date of Onset for the patient’s current condition. When a Medicare claim is being filed and the exact onset date isn’t known or isn’t applicable (such as routine or ongoing care), the standard practice is to put the current date in this field. This avoids leaving the field blank, which can trigger claim processing issues, and it aligns with Medicare’s expectation that the form contains a date in Block 14 even when the precise onset date isn’t specified. Leaving the field blank would risk denial due to missing information. Entering the date of injury would be correct only if there is a specific, known injury with a defined onset. Entering the date of the last visit would not reflect onset information, since Block 14 is about when the current problem began, not when the patient last came in.

Block 14 asks for the Date of Onset for the patient’s current condition. When a Medicare claim is being filed and the exact onset date isn’t known or isn’t applicable (such as routine or ongoing care), the standard practice is to put the current date in this field. This avoids leaving the field blank, which can trigger claim processing issues, and it aligns with Medicare’s expectation that the form contains a date in Block 14 even when the precise onset date isn’t specified.

Leaving the field blank would risk denial due to missing information. Entering the date of injury would be correct only if there is a specific, known injury with a defined onset. Entering the date of the last visit would not reflect onset information, since Block 14 is about when the current problem began, not when the patient last came in.