Although these forms look similar, they CANNOT be used interchangeably.

The HCFA 1500 claim form, also known as CMS-1500, enables medical physicians to submit health insurance claims for reimbursement from various government insurance plans including Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare. When a physician has a private practice but performs services at an institutional facility such as a hospital or outpatient facility, the CMS-1500 form would be used to bill for their services.

The UB-04 (CMS-1450) form is the claim form for institutional facilities such as hospitals or outpatient facilities. This would include things like surgery, radiology, laboratory, or other facility services.

The HCFA-1500 form (CMS-1500) is used to submit charges covered under Medicare Part B. The UB-04 (CMS-1450) to submit charges under Medicare Part A.