A practical guide to completing Box 19: Additional Claim Information accurately and consistently.

From our workflow: For Additional Claim Information, we compare the entry directly with the original source record and the receiving payer’s current instructions. A value can look complete and still be wrong if it came from an old claim or the wrong person’s record.

Use this field for payer-requested narrative, identifiers, or supplemental claim information.

An entry for Additional Claim Information may be the right length and still be the wrong value. The surrounding coverage, provider, and service information has to support it.

General rule: Payer-specific instructions, contracts, program manuals, and current coding guidance can add to or override general form guidance. Verify requirements before submission.

Why this deserves a careful check

The payer does not read Additional Claim Information in isolation. We compare it with the surrounding claim data before deciding the entry is ready.

Do not change Additional Claim Information simply to clear an edit. The value should come from the original source record and the receiving payer’s current instructions, and the correction should be made in the source record when possible.

A practical entry routine

  1. Identify the person, organization, date, code, or identifier the field is asking for.
  2. Locate the source document: insurance card, eligibility response, clinical note, authorization, provider enrollment record, fee schedule, or payer remittance.
  3. Enter the value using the form’s structure and the payer’s required format.
  4. Compare it with related fields and service lines for consistency.
  5. Save evidence of the source and the final submitted claim.

What to double-check

  • Treating it as a general note field.
  • Entering long clinical narratives.
  • Omitting a required qualifier.

We do not treat the last paid claim as the source for Additional Claim Information. It may contain information that was valid then and is no longer valid now.

Last check before sending

  • Read the payer guide.
  • Use the requested format.
  • Keep text concise.
  • Confirm whether an attachment or electronic note is also required.
  • Compare the completed claim with the clinical and billing record.
  • Confirm the receiving address or electronic route.
  • Keep a secure copy and proof of submission.

Where software helps—and where it does not

Software is useful for formatting and consistency checks around Additional Claim Information, but it cannot create missing documentation or decide a payer-specific value. The source record still controls the claim.

Apply this in software: For a workflow that keeps claim data reusable and reviewable, see the CMS-1500 paper and electronic filing options. Software can enforce format and consistency, but the source record and payer instructions still control the claim.
Privacy reminder: Use fictional data for training and printer tests. Claims contain protected information and should be stored, transmitted, printed, and destroyed through approved secure processes.

Written and reviewed by

1500Software Development Team

Covers the software, printing, validation, export, and troubleshooting steps described on this page.

1500Software Claims Review Team

Reviews field placement, provider roles, source records, and practical correction steps.

Reviewed July 26, 2026. Always follow the receiving payer’s current instructions and companion guide.

Official references

The sources below describe the national form or transaction framework. Check the payer’s current instructions before filing.