ANSI X12 837P - 4010 GS & GE Functional Group Header

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November 06, 2025

The GS (Functional Group Header) and GE (Functional Group Trailer) segments form the second level of the X12 EDI envelope, immediately inside the ISA/IEA interchange envelope for an 837 (4010) professional claim file. While the ISA/IEA define the overall transmission, the GS/GE pair specifically identifies the type of transaction (e.g., health care claim), the sender and receiver application identifiers, and the control numbers that group related transaction sets.

The GS/GE pair is mandatory and appears once for each functional group within the interchange. Each GS segment starts a group of one or more ST/SE transaction sets, and the corresponding GE segment ends that group.

Sample 837P (4010) – GS / GE Functional Group Envelope

> Functional Group Header & Trailer
  • ISA*00*          *00*          *ZZ*SENDERID       *ZZ*RECEIVERID     *250918*0535*U*00401*000000011*1*P*:~
  • GS*HC*SENDERCODE*RECEIVERCODE*20250918*0535*10022*X*004010X098A1~
    • ST*837*0001*004010X098A1~
    • ... (claims detail segments) ...
    • SE*39*0001~
    GE*1*10022~
  • IEA*1*000000011~

In this example:

  • GS06 and GE02 both contain the Functional Group Control Number (10022), which must match.
  • GE01 indicates the number of ST/SE transaction sets inside this group (here, 1).
  • GS01 identifies the transaction type – for 837 Professional, this is always HC.

Reminder: If the control numbers between GS and GE do not match, clearinghouses will reject the file at the functional group level – even if the rest of the interchange and claims data are valid.

HIPAA Guide – 837P [4010]

[Mandatory]

Segment Field Name Definition
GS 01 Functional Identifier Code Identifies the type of transaction set.
CodeDefinition
HC837 Professional Claim
GS 02 Application Sender’s Code Identifies the sending system or clearinghouse.
Note: This value may differ from ISA06 because GS02 identifies the sender at the application level, not the interchange level.
GS 03 Application Receiver’s Code Identifies the receiving system or payer.
Similarly, GS03 may differ from ISA08 because routing at the functional group level can be different than the interchange level.
GS04DateDate the functional group was created, format YYYYMMDD.
GS05TimeTime the functional group was created, format HHMM.
GS06Group Control NumberUnique number that must match GE02.
GS 07 Responsible Agency Code
CodeDefinition
XAccredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12
GS 08 Version / Release / Industry Identifier Code Defines the version of the implementation guide used for the 837 Professional claim.
CodeDefinition
004010X098 Original 4010 837 Professional Implementation Guide.
004010X098A1 4010 837 Professional with A1 addenda (most commonly referenced for 4010).
Confirm with your trading partner which 4010 IG (X098 or X098A1) they reference; many environments moved to 5010, but historical 4010 guides often cite X098A1.
GE01Number of Transaction Sets IncludedCount of ST/SE pairs within the group.
GE02Group Control NumberMust match GS06 exactly.
Important: For 4010 guides, 004010X098A1 is the most frequently referenced professional claim version. Many payers migrated to 5010 in production; use 4010 only when a trading partner specifically requires it.

Note: Each functional group must contain one or more complete ST/SE transaction sets. If GS06 and GE02 do not match, or GE01 does not equal the number of ST/SE sets, the entire group will be rejected.

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