March 2016

(Electronic distribution March 2, 2016)

View a printable PDF of this newsletter.

Back to the Basics: Free Webinars on Self-Service Electronic Tools Via Availity^TM
Join us for free webinars teaching you and your staff how to use the self-service electronic tools and features that can be accessed through the Availity Web portal. What you learn could make it easier to do business with us. Register today.

Getting on the Same Page for Quality Health Care
How can we define specific metrics that measure the quality of health care? Learn about a new collaborative that addresses that issue in the latest Huffington Post column from our Chief Medical Officer Dr. Stephen Ondra.

Notices and Announcements
In this issue of the newsletter, learn more about how remittance viewer offers providers and billing services convenient access to claim information. We also remind you that we are collecting data that may entail requesting you to provide medical records for one or more of your patients. Get the details.

In Every Issue
BCBSTX is required to provide certain notices in all published correspondence with physicians and professional providers. For the latest updates, visit the News and Updates area of the BCBSTX provider website. Get started now on reviewing this month's articles.

Contact Us
View our quick directory of contacts at BCBSTX.

Update Your Contact Information
Accurate provider directories are an important part of providing BCBSTX members/subscribers with the information they need to manage their health.

To update your contact information,you should submit all changes at least 30 days in advance of the effective date of change. Please submit your correspondence via:

• fax: 972-231-9664
• mail: P.O. Box 650267, Dallas, Texas, 75265-0267

If your specialty, practice information/status or board certification is not correct on the BCBSTX Provider Finder^®, or if you would like to have a subspecialty added, please contact your Network Management office.

In addition, BCBSTX periodically identifies providers who have not submitted claims for a period of one year. We make an effort to contact each provider to confirm their information. If the provider does not respond, we will initiate a network termination. Similarly, BCBSTX will inactivate any tax identification numbers (TINs) under which there have been no claims submitted for a period of one year.

Blue Review is published for Blue Choice PPO^SM, HMO Blue Texas^SM, Blue Cross Medicare Advantage (PPO)^SM, Blue Advantage HMO^SM, Blue Premier and ParPlan contracting physicians and other health care providers. Ideas for articles and letters to the editor are welcome; email BlueReviewEditor@bcbstx.com.

The information provided in Blue Review does not constitute a summary of benefits, and all benefit information should be confirmed or determined by calling the customer service telephone number listed on the back of the member/subscriber ID card.

BCBSTX makes no endorsement, representations or warranties regarding any products or services offered by independent, third-party vendors mentioned in this newsletter. The vendors are solely responsible for the products or services they offer. If you have questions regarding any of the products or services mentioned in this periodical, please contact the vendor directly.

Blue Cross^®, Blue Shield^® and the Cross and Shield symbols are registered service marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.