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EDIFACT message guide · Healthcare and social

MEDPID Person identification

The UN/EDIFACT message used to pass detailed person information, for example from health insurers to local government, to verify or update records.

Sent by
Health insurance agency or other public body
Received by
Local government or other public body
Standard
UN/EDIFACT · Batch message
X12 equivalent
No direct equivalent

What is the EDIFACT MEDPID message?

MEDPID is the UN/EDIFACT person identification message. The directory describes it as used to pass detailed information on persons, for instance from health insurance agencies to local government, in order to verify, add, change or delete person-related data in information systems.

Public bodies hold overlapping person registers. Exchanging identification data in a structured way keeps them consistent, for example so that health coverage records match population registers. Health and identity data are sensitive, so these exchanges are governed by strict data protection rules. Each body must be clear about which register is authoritative for which data items.

How the EDIFACT MEDPID message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT MEDPID Person identification message. Health insurance agency or other public body sends it to local government or other public body. It usually starts the exchange. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message) and body and segment groups: the required SG1 loop with PNA (Party identification) and the required SG2 loop with GEI (Processing information). 4 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT MEDPID message worksPerson identification: who sends it, where it fits and what the directory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeMEDPIDSENDERHealth insuranceagency or other publicbodyRECEIVERLocal government orother public bodyCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYNo business reply expected2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDsUNB … UNZMessage MEDPIDUNH … UNTSTART OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPSMandatory group SG1 · repeats up to 99PNAParty identificationMandatory group SG2 · repeats up to 9,999GEIProcessing information+ 4 conditional groups, starting with:PDICOMRELAUTBlue box: mandatory segment group. Conditional groups are listed by the trigger segment that starts them; a group is sent only when its data applies.Conditional segments outside groups are not drawn.Structure: mandatory segments and groups in the UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A listing for MEDPID. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.
How the EDIFACT MEDPID message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT MEDPID Person identification message. Health insurance agency or other public body sends it to local government or other public body. It usually starts the exchange. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message) and body and segment groups: the required SG1 loop with PNA (Party identification) and the required SG2 loop with GEI (Processing information). 4 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT MEDPIDmessage worksPerson identification: who sends it, where it fitsand what the directory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeMEDPIDSENDERHealthinsuranceagency or otherpublic bodyRECEIVERLocalgovernment orother publicbodyCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYNo business reply expected2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDs(UNB … UNZ)Message MEDPID (UNH … UNT)START OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPSMandatory group SG1 · repeats upto 99PNAParty identificationMandatory group SG2 · repeats upto 9,999GEIProcessing information+ 4 conditional groups, starting with:PDICOMRELAUTBlue box: mandatory segment group. Conditionalgroups are listed by the trigger segment thatstarts them; a group is sent only when its dataapplies. Conditional segments outside groups arenot drawn.Structure: mandatory segments and groups in theUN/EDIFACT directory D.21A listing for MEDPID.Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends MEDPID, to whom, and which messages usually come before and after it. The lower part shows what the directory D.21A itself requires: the envelopes around MEDPID and the segments and segment groups it marks mandatory. Conditional groups are listed by their trigger segment rather than drawn in full. This is the directory's minimum, not a trading partner's requirement: a message implementation guide, such as an industry subset or a partner’s own guide, usually makes some conditional groups mandatory, restricts the codes and may use an older directory.

Expand diagram Download SVG

When it is used

  • Verifying person data between registers
  • Reporting new or changed person records
  • Deleting records of deceased persons

Where it fits in the message flow

This message MEDPID Person identification

No other message routinely comes directly before or after MEDPID; it is exchanged when the business event occurs. If the partners agree, the receiver confirms each interchange with a CONTRL syntax and service report.

Structure

Mandatory segments in MEDPID (directory D.21A)

In UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A, the MEDPID message has 40 segment positions arranged in 6 segment groups. These are the segments and segment groups marked mandatory at message level, in order; a mandatory group is shown with the segment that starts it. Segments inside conditional groups are needed only when the group is used. This is the directory’s requirement, not your trading partner’s: each partner’s message implementation guide names the directory it uses, often an older one such as D.96A or D.01B where the structure can differ, makes some conditional segments mandatory and restricts the codes.

  • UNH
  • BGM
  • SG1 (PNA)
  • SG2 (GEI)
  • UNT

Practical example

MEDPID in practice

A health insurance agency finds address differences between its records and the municipal register. It sends the municipality MEDPID messages for the persons concerned, requesting verification. The municipality confirms the current data, and both registers are aligned.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for MEDPID

  • Comply with data protection laws for health and identity data.
  • Use person identifiers agreed between the bodies.
  • Define which body is authoritative for each data item.
  • Log every change to person data for audit.

How ECOM helps

Automate MEDPID with ECOM

Industry

Healthcare

Secure B2B integration and file transfer for providers, suppliers, distributors and healthcare partners.

Solution

Enterprise Integration

Any-to-any integration across partners, systems, protocols, security requirements, formats and ERPs, in batch or real time.

Solution

EDI Integration

Exchange X12 and EDIFACT documents with partners and integrate them directly with your ERP.

Compare X12 and EDIFACT, or see answers to general questions in the EDI FAQ.

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