Posting United Concordia dental EOBs and ERAs

PearlFlow payers · November 14, 2026

United Concordia pays dental offices through two partners: PNC Healthcare and ECHO Health. The default payment is a virtual credit card. Unless you choose something else, that’s what you get, and every card has to be run through your card terminal before the money reaches your bank.

Here’s how United Concordia payments work, how to change them, and what to watch for when you post.

How United Concordia pays dental offices

ECHO Health and PNC Healthcare deliver United Concordia’s payments through PNC’s Claim Payments & Remittances product (United Concordia payment options). United Concordia lists four payment options, and you can change yours at any time by contacting ECHO.

Virtual credit card (the default). No enrollment needed. Each payment notice carries a one-time 16-digit card number. You run it through your card processor for the full amount before it expires, and your normal card fees apply. The card and its Dental EOB or Explanation of Provider Payment (EPP) come by fax if ECHO has a secure fax number for you, and by mail otherwise.
EFT. Payments go straight to your bank account. United Concordia and PNC don’t charge for EFT, though your bank might. If you already have an ECHO Provider Portal login (providerpayments.com), you can enroll there at any time. Enrollment usually takes two business days.
Medical Payment Exchange (MPX). Payments and EOBs arrive electronically, 7 to 10 days faster than mail. You can print a check at no cost, take a card payment or enroll in EFT.
Paper check. You opt out of virtual cards at ECHOVcards.com or by calling ECHO at 800-883-1932. Paper EOBs or EPPs come with the checks.

Switching before the first card. Before your first card payment, ECHO mails a letter with a code. With that code and your tax ID, you can set your preference at echovcards.com/letter. Changes to paper check or card take effect right away.

ERA (835). New EFT-enabled offices get the HIPAA 835 ERA set up by default. You can change that by emailing EDI@ECHOHealthInc.com. If you were on ERA before but not EFT, you need to enroll in ERA with ECHO. United Concordia’s EDI companion guide says it works with ECHO to provide ERAs for most lines of business.

Where to see payments. Whatever option you choose, payments, predeterminations and EOBs or EPPs are on both the United Concordia Provider Portal and the ECHO Provider Portal.

Payer ID. United Concordia’s companion guide lists payer ID 89070 for its dental claims. It also lists partner plans, each with its own payer ID.

What makes United Concordia payments tricky to post

Two senders during the move. United Concordia is moving to PNC Healthcare and ECHO in phases. Until that’s done, some payments and paperwork come from United Concordia and some from PNC/ECHO. Expect both, and don’t post one as a duplicate of the other without checking.
Cards versus deposits. A card payment isn’t in your bank until you run it. Post from the EOB or EPP, and keep the card processing fee out of the claim; it’s a merchant fee, not an insurance adjustment.
Bulk payments. One payment can cover many patients. Add up the EOB or ERA and confirm it equals the payment first. For EFT, the trace number on the ERA matches the one on the deposit (CMS).
Offsets. A short payment can mean an old overpayment was taken back (ADA News). Tie it to the original claim.
Two portals. The same EOB is in the United Concordia portal and the ECHO portal. It’s easy to post it twice.

What PearlFlow does with United Concordia payments

PearlFlow collects United Concordia’s remittances each night, along with every other payer’s, from the payer portals. Paper EOBs and EPPs your office scans are included too.
It matches each payment to the open claim, whether it came by card, EFT or check.
It posts line by line into your PMS: insurance paid, write-off and patient portion.
When the same payment shows up in both portals, or on paper too, it posts once.
When the numbers don’t add up, it posts nothing. The claim goes on the morning list with the reason.
The dashboard shows every claim, what was posted and the EOB behind each payment.
PearlFlow also sends the day’s claims through the clearinghouse you already use. There’s no change of PMS or clearinghouse, and a BAA is signed before any data is shared.

Common questions

Why did United Concordia pay us with a virtual card?

The virtual credit card is the default payment option. If you haven’t chosen another option with ECHO, that’s what you receive.

How do we switch to EFT or paper checks?

For EFT, enroll through the ECHO Provider Portal at providerpayments.com. For paper checks, opt out of cards at ECHOVcards.com or call ECHO at 800-883-1932.

Will we get an 835 ERA from United Concordia?

New EFT-enabled offices get the 835 by default from ECHO. If you had ERA without EFT, enroll in ERA with ECHO.

Where do we find United Concordia EOBs?

On the United Concordia Provider Portal and the ECHO Provider Portal. Card payments also come with an EOB or EPP by fax or mail.

Related guides

Sources

United Concordia, Payment options for dentists
United Concordia, HIPAA transaction standard companion guide
CMS, EFT and ERA: Payment Remittance Reassociation Basics (June 2022)
ADA News, Dear ADA: recoupments (September 2026)

This page is general information, not legal or billing advice. Payer programs change; check your payer contracts and your state’s rules for your own practice.

United Concordia is a trademark of its owner. PearlFlow is not affiliated with or endorsed by United Concordia.