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PECOS Common Problems and Fixes

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PECOS is functional but not intuitive, and it has some well-documented quirks that cause providers and billing staff to get stuck. This page covers the most common issues and their solutions.

I&A login problems

”Your username or password is incorrect”

  • Double-check case sensitivity (passwords are case-sensitive)
  • Confirm you’re logging in at idm.cms.gov, not PECOS directly
  • If you’ve recently reset your password, use the new one
  • If you’re certain credentials are correct and still getting this error, your account may be locked

Account lockout: After multiple failed login attempts, I&A locks the account. Wait 30 minutes and try again, or use the “Forgot Password” link to reset.

”Your account has been deactivated”

I&A accounts are deactivated after 60 days of inactivity. To reactivate:

  1. Go to idm.cms.gov
  2. Use the “Forgot Password” link to initiate a password reset
  3. Follow the email instructions to reactivate

If the email link doesn’t work, contact the CMS IDM help desk.

Can’t access original email address

If you no longer have access to the email associated with your I&A account:

  1. Contact your MAC’s provider enrollment team
  2. Explain the situation and provide identity documentation
  3. The MAC can coordinate with CMS to reset access — this process takes 1–5 business days

NPI issues in PECOS

”NPI not found” during enrollment setup

Causes and fixes:

  1. NPI was recently assigned — NPPES data takes 24–72 hours to sync to PECOS. Wait and try again.
  2. NPI entered incorrectly — Verify the 10-digit NPI at nppes.cms.hhs.gov before entering in PECOS
  3. Wrong NPI type — Are you entering a Type 1 (individual) NPI when the system expects Type 2 (organization), or vice versa?
  4. NPI is inactive in NPPES — Log in to NPPES and confirm your NPI status is “Active”

Name mismatch between NPI and application

PECOS validates that your legal name matches your NPPES record. If names don’t match:

  1. Log in to NPPES (nppes.cms.hhs.gov)
  2. Verify your legal name is entered correctly (exactly as it appears on your Social Security card or other legal ID)
  3. Update NPPES if needed
  4. Wait 24–48 hours for the change to propagate
  5. Return to PECOS

Taxonomy code mismatch

If PECOS shows a taxonomy conflict:

  1. Check your taxonomy in NPPES — what code is listed?
  2. Does it match the specialty you’re trying to enroll under?
  3. Update your NPPES taxonomy if needed (this requires a taxonomy code update in NPPES, not in PECOS)
  4. Allow 24–48 hours and retry

Application problems

Application stuck in “Submitted” status for 30+ days

This usually means the application is in queue, not lost. But it can also mean there’s an issue that hasn’t triggered a visible status update. Steps:

  1. Confirm you received a PECOS confirmation email with an application ID
  2. Log in to PECOS and verify the application ID is showing in your enrollment record
  3. Contact your MAC’s provider enrollment department (not the general 1-800-MEDICARE line) and give them your application ID and NPI
  4. MACs can see details about your application’s queue position and whether any issues were flagged

”Pending Completion” status

This means your MAC has sent a development letter requesting additional information or documentation.

  1. Check the correspondence address on file — the letter went there
  2. If you haven’t received the letter, contact your MAC and ask them to re-send it or describe what’s needed
  3. Respond to the development request within 30 days — missing this deadline results in application denial

Application denied

If your application was denied:

  1. Read the denial letter carefully — it specifies the reason
  2. Common reasons: expired license, missing documentation, adverse history issue, NPI/name discrepancy
  3. Most denials allow you to re-apply after addressing the issue
  4. Some denials (based on exclusion or adverse history) require CMS review and may involve a reconsideration process
  5. Contact your MAC for clarification before re-applying

Browser and technical problems

PECOS not loading or blank screen

  1. Clear browser cache and cookies
  2. Try a different browser (PECOS works best in Chrome or Edge — avoid Internet Explorer/Legacy Edge)
  3. Disable browser extensions (ad blockers, privacy extensions sometimes interfere)
  4. Try incognito/private mode
  5. Verify your internet connection

Session timeout — data lost

PECOS times out after approximately 20 minutes of inactivity. If your session expires mid-application:

  1. Log back in — your in-progress application should be saved if you completed any sections
  2. Navigate back to your enrollment record to find the in-progress application
  3. If the application isn’t saved, you may need to start the section again

⚠️ Save frequently. PECOS doesn’t always auto-save reliably. After completing each section, click “Save” before proceeding to the next section.

Document upload failing

  • Check file size: most PECOS uploads have a 5MB limit per file
  • Check file format: PDFs are most reliable; some MACs have issues with images
  • Flatten PDFs before uploading (some scanned PDFs with form fields fail)
  • If a specific document repeatedly fails, try uploading a different scan or version

Organization/access problems

”You don’t have access to this enrollment”

This appears when your I&A account isn’t linked to the enrollment you’re trying to access. Causes:

  1. You’re logging in with an individual I&A account and trying to access an organization enrollment (or vice versa)
  2. Your access to an organization’s PECOS record was never set up or was removed
  3. The enrollment was filed by someone else and you weren’t granted delegated access

Fix: An authorized official for the organization needs to grant you delegated official access in PECOS.

Previous authorized official left — lost PECOS access

This is one of the most common organizational PECOS headaches. When the person who set up PECOS access for your organization leaves:

  1. Contact your MAC’s provider enrollment department
  2. Provide documentation establishing the new authorized official’s authority (board resolution, corporate authorization, etc.)
  3. The MAC will guide the access recovery process
  4. Allow 5–15 business days for resolution

Not finding your answer here?

The CMS EDI Help Desk handles PECOS technical issues: 1-866-580-5986 (Monday–Friday 8am–8pm ET).

Your MAC’s provider enrollment department handles enrollment-specific issues — find your MAC contact information on the CMS website.

Still stuck? Describe the exact error to Mae and she’ll help diagnose it. Ask Mae →