ERA stands for which of the following?

• A. Electronic Remittance Advice
• B. Electronic Reconciliation Alert
• C. Electronic Revenue Acknowledgment
• D. Electronic Remittance Agreement

Answer: (A)

Electronic Remittance Advice is the electronic version of the payer’s remittance advice. It accompanies a payment and details exactly how that payment was applied to claims—showing the total paid, any adjustments or reason codes, the amount credited to each claim, and any patient responsibility. This information is typically transmitted in the HIPAA 835 format and can be imported into a practice management or EHR system to automatically post payments and reconcile accounts, saving time and reducing manual entry.

An electronic remittance agreement would be the arrangement to send remittance data electronically, not the content of the payment details. An electronic reconciliation alert would be an alert about reconciliation, not the actual remittance information. An electronic revenue acknowledgment isn’t the standard term used for this document in healthcare billing.