Effective Sept. 1, 2021, HMO plans will no longer be an enrollment option under the Texas Group Benefit Program. All current subscribers and dependents enrolled in one of the HMO plans will be automatically enrolled in HealthSelect of Texas administered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, unless they elect otherwise during their summer enrollment period
Participants who are transitioning from an HMO plan will have a 90-day referral grace period and will receive in-network benefits if they see an in-network specialist without a referral during this timeframe. After Nov. 30, 2021, if there is not a referral on file with BCBSTX, the specialist visit will be covered at the out-of-network benefit level, even if the specialist is in-network.
Effective Sept. 1, 2021, certain procedure codes are being removed from the list of services that require prior authorization for HealthSelect of Texas® & Consumer Directed HealthSelectSM participants. You can review a list of the codes being removed here 
. BCBSTX is currently working on system updates to reflect this change.
Remember to use Availity®
or your preferred vendor to check eligibility and benefits before rendering services. This will help you confirm coverage details and prior authorization requirements and determine if you are in-network for the member’s policy. Refer to Eligibility and Benefits for details.