If you use the CMS-1500 forms to submit paper claims to funders then you may be aware of the challenges faced when configuring your printer settings so that the text lines up correctly with the boxes on the form when printed.
With the new CMS-1500 02/12 form we have made some changes to the layout which will help make it easier to print. It is now based on the printable area of the paper/printer.
Printer Margin Settings
The margin settings* that you should use are:
Top and bottom margins: 0.5 inches or 12.7mm
Left and right margins: 0.3 inches or 7.625mm
If the margin settings listed above do not work you can also try these:
Top margin: 0.35 inches or 8.89mm
Bottom margin: 0.3 inches or 7.62mm
Left margin: 0.13 inches or 3.302mm
Right margin: 0.1 inches or 2.54
It is important that you do not scale or alter the original size.
These settings should cover most printers. If the page is narrower it is recommended to set up a new paper size for 8.5 x 11 (inches) with the above margins.
*Please note the margin settings listed above are only a suggestion and may vary depending on your agency’s printers and setup. We recommend you use the CMS print test page to ensure you are using the correct margins. Click here for more information.
Web Browsers
When printing the CMS-1500 form only Internet Explorer 9/10 or Mozilla Firefox should be used. Do not use Safari or Chrome as they do not allow for absolute lengths and as such will not print (correctly) within the boxes on the CMS-1500 form.
Print a Test Page
There is now also an option to print a test copy of the CMS-1500 form on the Batch page. It will include a line at the top of the page that when printed should line up with the middle line between the left and right columns in the CMS-1500 form. This can be used to assist you in determining if the left margin needs to be increased or decreased in order for the boxes to line up.