News and Updates

• Submit Multiple Clinical Claim Appeal Requests Online  – one claim appeal request for multiple claims for same patient using Availity Claim Status tool
• Availity^® Essentials Claim Status Tool Update
• ClaimsXten™ Quarterly Update Reminder  on or after August 22, 2022.  Code updates may include additions, deletions, and revisions to CPT and HCPCS codes
• Managing Diabetes – closing care gaps
• BCBSOK to Recommend Preferred Drugs through Enhanced Prior Authorization  Effective 8/1/22 to improve member access to more affordable care, will begin recommending some preferred drugs over other drugs through medical policies when clinically appropriate
• Postponed: New Lab Policies and Laboratory Benefit Management Program
• Current Procedural Terminology^® (CPT) Codes Updated for Prior Authorization for Medicare, Effective July 1  To be reviewed by EviCore:  addition of 1 outpatient sleep code, addition of 2 outpatient specialty drug codes, addition of outpatient specialty drugs Susvimo, Cortophin, and Vyvgart.
• Pharmacy Program Updates: Quarterly Pharmacy Changes Effective April 1, 2022 – Part 2
• New ‘Message This Payer’ Option Coming Soon Via Availity Essentials: An electronic method to send secure messages to BCBSOK for commercial claim management questions with responses within two business days.

Clinical Payment and Coding Policies:  https://www.bcbsok.com/provider/standards/standards-requirements/cpcp

• Telemedicine and Telehealth Services – Effective 8/1/22
• Intraoperative Neurophysiology Monitoring (IONM) Coding and Reimbursement Guidelines
• Non-Reimbursable Experimental, Investigational and/or Unproven Services (EIU) – Effective 8/1/22

Medical Policy Reminder:  Approved new or revised BCBSOK medical policies and their effective dates are posted on the BCBSOK Website the 1^st and 15^th day of each month.

https://www.bcbsokcommunications.com/newsletters/br/2022/may/email/ok_may_2022_bluereview.html

Cigna is partnering with eviCore healthcare (eviCore) to provide utilization management of its Post-Acute Care (PAC), Home Health Care (HHC), and Durable Medical Equipment (DME) programs for Cigna Medicare Advantage customers effective June 1, 2022.

Complete information regarding how to request precertification and online training opportunities is available on the attached notice from Cigna.

Cigna – Medicare_PAC.HH.DME_ProviderReminder_Letter_eCard

Radiology Program

AIM has been made aware of a possible temporary iodinated contrast shortage, specifically involving GE Healthcare’s iodinated contrast media (Omnipaque™) stemming from a manufacturing facility lockdown in Shanghai, China. Iodinated contrast is used to provide enhancement of organs, tissues, and blood vessels for CT scans. GE estimates an 80 percent reduction in the supply of Omnipaque for about 6–8 weeks.

What is AIM doing to address the contrast shortage?

For indications that cannot be adequately imaged by non-contrast CT, alternative advanced imaging modalities may be appropriate. Many AIM guideline indications have allowances for MRI and/or PET/CT “when CT cannot be performed or is non-diagnostic,” which would include scenarios such as this when contrast CT cannot be performed (and non-contrast CT is expected to be non-diagnostic).

Requests for alternative imaging made under such circumstances should include this detail (eg “iodinated contrast for CT is not available”) in the submitted prior authorization request, either by peer-to-peer discussion or via the free text entry option for online web portal requests.

Healthy Blue- ClinicalAlert- CTContrastShortage

On August 13, 2022, Cigna will implement a new reimbursement policy, Unacceptable Principal Diagnosis Codes (R38), for claims billed with an unacceptable principal diagnosis code.  Unacceptable principal diagnosis is a coding convention in ICD-1O.  Those identified codes do not describe a current illness or injury, but a circumstance which influences a patient’s health status. These codes are considered to be unacceptable principal diagnosis codes.

Please review the attached announcement from Cigna for complete information.

Cigna – Reimbursement Policy – Unacceptable Principal Diagnosis Codes 081322

Wellcare/Wellcare by Allwell has released the following notice regarding changes to their prior authorization policy effective July 1, 2022.

allwell authorization updates 070122

Effective May 1, 2022, the employer group Commerce Bank will change their claims administrator from HealthScope Benefits to UMR. They will continue to access the Mercy network through their direct agreement.

As a result of this change, Commerce Bank employees have been issued a new identification card with the new identification and claims submission information. A sample of the identification card is attached below.

Commerce Bank

Claim Address: UMR

PO Box 30541

Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0541

Payor ID #: 39026

Claims & Eligibility (Member): 800-826-9781

Claims & Eligibility (Providers):  877-233-1800

Commerce Banchares, Inc- BP001 – PPO Plan, Med 3-22-22

Please see the following link for Medica COVID-19 Response Provider FAQ.

https://partner.medica.com/-/media/documents/provider/covid-19-preparedness-provider-faq.pdf?la=en&hash=71B81851C5046B016DD910711E6D18F4

Medica will continue to extend diagnostic testing, o/p antibody treatment, and telemedicine through July 31, 2022

PA waivers and DME will expire April 30, 2022.

UnitedHealthcare and naviHealth Partner in Arkansas, South Carolina, and Texas for home health authorizations

Beginning June 1, 2022, naviHealth will begin managing home health prior authorizations for UnitedHealthcare (Medicare Advantage and D-SNP) members in the states of Arkansas, South Carolina and Texas.

Please join us for an informational session where naviHealth will explain new workflows and processes for members requiring home health services.

Mission-critical training topics include:

• Home health utilization management goals and workflow
• Overview of our online portal (nH Access)
• How to access agency resources

This session is intended for home health agency:

• Administrators
• Authorization managers
• Claims and billing specialists
• Clinical services directors
• Intake directors

To register, click the link for your preferred date and time below. Space is limited so sign up early!

Tuesday, April 19, 11 am – 12 pm CT

Wednesday, April 20, 1 pm – 2 pm CT

Thursday, April 21, 4 pm – 5 pm CT

Tuesday, April 26, 2 pm – 3 pm CT

Wednesday, April 27, 10 am – 11 am CT

Thursday, April 28, 12 pm – 1 pm CT

Note: The home health prior authorization policy announcement can be found on UHCProvider.com. You can request additional information by visiting naviHealth.com/implementations

UnitedHealthcare – Home Health Update Eff 6-1-2022

May 2022- BCBS of IL News and Updates

Articles in this issue:

Electronic Options

• Telehealth Information for Provider Directories: What We’re Collecting and How to Make Updates

Claims and Coding

• Telehealth Update: Using Place of Service (POS) Codes on Commercial Claims
• Coding Update: Breast Augmentation and Removal for Gender Affirming Surgery
• Postponed: New Lab Policies and Laboratory Benefit Management Program
• BCCHP^SMBilling Update for Manually Priced Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Devices (B4160 and B4161)

Clinical Updates, Resources and Reminders

• Government Programs Prior Authorization (PA) Update: Code Changes, Effective July 1, 2022

What’s New

• New Medication Delivery Program Offers Dose-packaging for Medicaid Members

Pharmacy Program

• Pharmacy Program Updates: Quarterly Pharmacy Changes Effective May 1, 2022 – Part 2
• Pharmacy Program Updates: Prior Authorization Changes Effective June 2022 and July 2022 – Part 2

Wellness and Member Education

• Help Your Patients Keep Their Illinois Medicaid Benefits

Community Involvement

• Free Programs at Blue Door Neighborhood Centers for Mother’s Day, Mental Health Awareness Month and National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Focus on Behavioral Health

• Your Patients’ Wellness Can’t Wait
• Follow-Up Care for Substance Abuse Disorders

Quality Improvement and Reporting

• Supporting Care During and After Pregnancy

Provider Education

• Provider Learning Opportunities

Notification and Disclosure

• Medical Policy Updates

BCBS of IL – Blue Review (May 2022)

Please view this announcement from Healthy Blue Medicaid.

Healthy Blue continues to be dedicated to delivering access to quality care for our members, providing higher value to our customers and helping improve the health of our communities. Healthy blue has recently identified a system configuration issue with observation authorizations, that are incorrectly auto approving for 2 days if the request is completed via our phone intake system.

The struck-through paragraph has been replaced with this wording.

In an ongoing effort to promote accurate precertification submissions, until further notice, Healthy Blue will no longer allow precertification for observation stays to be requested over the phone, and they will only be accepted by submission via the portal or via fax. 

In an ongoing effort to promote accurate precertification submissions, until further notice, Healthy Blue will no longer allow precertification for observation stays or outpatient procedures to be requested over the phone, and they will only be accepted by submission via the portal or via fax.

 Note: Please ensure when requesting precertification for OP procedures (such as an appendectomy) please only request the code for the OP Procedure and do not include the code for observation.  When you have an OP surgery it includes recovery time, which allows the member to stay in the hospital and recover up to 24 hours if needed.

If you have questions about this communication or need assistance with any other item, contact your local Provider Experience representative or call Provider Services at 833-405-9086.