The IHSC Provider Support Call Center is available from 8:00am to 5:00pm EST, Monday through Friday (excluding federal holidays). Please contact us at 1-844-922-IHSC (1-844-922-4472).
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - IHSC DHS
ACH enrollment will be managed through the Acentra Health IHSC provider portal once available. All payments will be made through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).
For VAFSC ACH or EFT vendorization process visit: https://www.ice.gov/detain/ice-health-service-corps/ihs-managed-care or reach out to VAFSC customer service support at 800-479-0523, Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CST.
All payments to providers in the new system will be made via EFT. The system will identify EFT failures for automated process resolution or for banking and Acentra Health staff to review and resolve.
For any VAFSC EFT related failures or concerns, you may reach out to VAFSC customer service support at 800-479-0523, Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CST.
Yes. A secure web-based Acentra Health IHSC provider portal is estimated to be available during the fourth quarter of this 2026 fiscal year with the following services:
- Access to payment and remittance information
- Provider information updates and revalidation
- Claim status inquiry
- Direct claims entry
- Submission of attachments and adjustments
- Enrollment and Vendorization
- EFT
Providers who were vendorized with the VAFSC will receive an email before the estimated Acentra Health start date to register for the Acentra Health IHSC provider portal and will need to verify their information. Providers not yet vendorized with the VAFSC or who are new, will need to fully register and enroll on the Acentra Health IHSC provider portal estimated to start during the fourth quarter of this 2026 fiscal year. Frequent this website for announced start dates.
Yes. Acentra Health will provide instructional training for providers and user guides for system access and use. Training information will be posted and maintained on this website.
Yes. The Acentra Health IHSC Call Center and Help desk support is now available between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM ET Monday through Friday excluding federal holidays, including claims assistance, EFT/EDI enrollment, appeals, and payments. Call Center and Help Desk can be reached by calling 1-844-922-IHSC (1-844-922-4472).
For VAFSC related concerns you may reach out to VAFSC customer service support at 800-479-0523, Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CST.
Claims submission to Acentra Health is estimated to begin during the fourth quarter of this 2026 fiscal year once you are enrolled in the new Acentra Health IHSC provider portal for all dates of service after Oct. 1, 2025, and forward. Frequent this website for announced start dates.
The VAFSC as of May 8th, 2026, is authorized to provide interim claims processing for dates of service from Oct. 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2025 (FY 2023 – FY 2025) on behalf of ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). For VAFSC filing instructions, please visit the IHSC Managed Care web page at https://www.ice.gov/detain/ice-health-service-corps/ihs-managed-care. Note the VAFSC interim service for IHSC ends on Sept. 30, 2026.
Once the new system is made available, providers can submit claims to Acentra Health for dates of service on or after Oct. 1, 2025:
- Electronically via EDI (instructions will be made available prior to the system go-live date).
- Direct data entry (DDE) through the Acentra Health web-based portal for providers that are vendorized and registered on the provider portal.
The VAFSC as of May 8th, 2026, is authorized to provide interim claims processing for dates of service from Oct. 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2025 (FY 2023 – FY 2025) on behalf of ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). For VAFSC filing instructions, please visit the IHSC Managed Care web page at https://www.ice.gov/detain/ice-health-service-corps/ihs-managed-care. Note the VAFSC interim service for IHSC ends on Sept. 30, 2026.
Paper claims will not be accepted and will be returned. Both VAFSC and Acentra Health systems are fully electronic to help ensure higher claims acceptance rates and faster responses.
Yes, once the new Acentra Health System is live. The provider portal will allow providers to submit attachments to claims. Providers can add attachments to claims submitted in the provider portal via direct claims entry or after an EDI claim is submitted.
VAFSC does not have a process to receive attachments.
EOPs for claims filed with Acentra Health will be available electronically through the Acentra Health IHSC provider portal as a remittance advice once the system is live. EOPs for claims filed with the VAFSC will also be available through their hosted provider portal for those enrolled or by mail for providers not enrolled in the VAFSC provider portal.
Claims submitted via EDI will receive an 835 response.
Yes. The VA-FSC is authorized to provide interim claims processing for dates of service from Oct. 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2025 (FY 2023 – FY 2025) on behalf of ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). All claim submissions must be electronic. The VA-FSC provider portal does not support claim submissions, and VA-FSC no longer accepts paper claims or physical mail. For additional submission details, please visit the IHSC Managed Care website at https://www.ice.gov/detain/ice-health-service-corps/ihs-managed-careor call the VAFSC customer service support line 1-800-479-0523.
Once the Acentra Health IHSC system goes live and an authorized clean claim is received, we ask you to allow 30 days from received date for processing. Continue to review the Acentra Health IHSC provider portal for your claim status.
Contact VAFSC for any questions related to claims filed with the VAFSC regarding payment at 1-800-479-0523.
Unpaid or denied claims will need to be resubmitted. The VAFSC is authorized to provide interim claims processing for dates of service from Oct. 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2025 (FY 2023 – FY 2025) on behalf of ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). All claim submissions must be electronic. VAFSC no longer accepts paper claims or physical mail. For additional submission details, please visit the IHSC Managed Care website at https://www.ice.gov/detain/ice-health-service-corps/ihs-managed-care or call the VAFSC customer service support line 1-800-479-0523.
Yes. Right now, we are in a transition period. The VAFSC is authorized to provide interim claims processing for dates of service from Oct. 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2025 (FY 2023 – FY 2025) on behalf of ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). For VAFSC filing instructions, please visit the IHSC Managed Care web page at https://www.ice.gov/detain/ice-health-service-corps/ihs-managed-care. Note the VAFSC interim service for IHSC ends on Sept. 30, 2026. IHSC has contracted Acentra Health as the new claims processing third-party administrator that will process all FY 2026 claims (October 1, 2025) dates of service and forward.
We are currently in our building and testing phase. Claims submission and payment processing are estimated to begin within the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2026. IHSC will communicate a definite date prior to the official GO LIVE date. Until that date, providers should hold claims with FY 2026 dates of service until IHSC issues further guidance. Once the system is live, IHSC will be able to assist you with enrollment, claims submission, and payment processes. We encourage you to visit:
OR
For VAFSC support, the VAFSC phone lines are staffed Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CST. You can reach them at 800-479-0523 during these hours
Per Title 18, Part III, Chapter 301, Section 40006 of U.S. Code, claims payment will be for the amount billed, not to exceed the amount that would be paid for the provision of similar health care items and services under the Medicare program under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act. Claims will be adjudicated using the same edits and IHSC business rules that were applied previously.
The systems use configurable business rules to identify and manage duplicate claims during adjudication.
Yes. Providers will be able to submit adjustments and corrected claims via the provider portal or EDI. Further instructions will be provided prior to the system becoming available.
For VAFSC filing instructions, please visit the IHSC Managed Care web page at https://www.ice.gov/detain/ice-health-service-corps/ihs-managed-care.
Yes. Providers will be able to submit EDI claims via 837 electronic claim transactions. New instructions will be provided prior to the go-live date.
EOPs for claims filed with Acentra Health will be available electronically through the Acentra Health IHSC provider portal as a remittance advice once the system is live.
EOPs for claims filed with the VAFSC will also be available through their hosted provider portal for those enrolled or by mail for providers not enrolled in the VAFSC provider portal.
All VAFSC claim submission concerns can be addressed by the VAFSC customer service support at 1-800-479-0523 Monday through Friday, from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM CST.
Acentra Health will import prior and existing authorization/referral data from IHSC prior to the new system start date.
Yes. The system will allow importing of authorization/referral data and match claims to authorizations during adjudication.
You will be able to file your claim for consideration and adjudication if you have the authorization number. If you do not have the authorization number, please email your request to the referral coordinator or field medical coordinator that normally issues your referral authorizations. If you do not have a point of contact for your referral authorizations, please reach out to IHSC via email correspondence at IHSC_HPMU_info@ice.dhs.gov.
For Acentra Health IHSC appeals, further instructions on the appeals process will be provided before the system go-live date. For any concerns related to claims submissions through VAFSC, please call the customer support line Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CST at 800-479-0523.
Yes. The system meets HIPAA and DHS/ICE security standards.
- Acentra Health will follow DHS and ICE incident response protocols to report breaches immediately and remediate vulnerabilities within prescribed timelines.