Which statement correctly distinguishes 837P and 837I formats?

• A. 837P is for institutional claims; 837I is for professional.
• B. They serve the same purpose across all claim types.
• C. 837P is for professional claims; 837I is for institutional.
• D. They are not HIPAA formats.

Answer: (C)

Professional vs institutional claims are handled by different HIPAA-adopted 837 formats. The 837P format is used by clinicians and other professionals to bill for individual patient services they perform, while the 837I format is used by facilities such as hospitals and other institutions to bill for facility-based charges. This makes the statement that 837P is for professional claims and 837I is for institutional claims the correct distinction. The other options either reverse who uses which format or deny that these are HIPAA-standard formats.