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Welcome to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) Provider Orientation Information
On May 13, we announced we were awarded the contract to administer medical and behavioral health benefits for the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), effective Sept. 1, 2020. TRS-ActiveCare participants will be offered health plans that use either the nationwide Blue Choice PPOSM or statewide Blue EssentialsSM provider networks.
TRS-ActiveCare Plans
Statewide Blue Essentials network – providers who are contracted under the Blue Essential network can see participants on these plans:
- TRS-ActiveCare Primary and TRS-ActiveCare Primary+
- Copays for doctor visits before meeting deductibles.
- Primary care provider (PCP) selection and referrals to specialists are required.
- No out-of-network coverage, except for true emergencies.
Nationwide Blue Choice PPO network plans – providers who are contracted under the Blue Choice PPO network can see participants on these plans:
- TRS-ActiveCare HD
- High deductible plan which may include a health savings account (HSA) to pay for medical care.
- Does not require PCP selection or referrals.
- Deductibles must be met before the plan pays for diagnostic care.
- Includes out-of-network coverage. Participants have a lower cost share when using in-network providers.
- TRS-ActiveCare 2
- Copays for doctor visits before meeting deductibles.
- Does not require PCP selection or referrals.
- Includes out-of-network coverage. Participants have a lower cost share when using in-network providers.
Identifying TRS-ActiveCare Participants
TRS-ActiveCare participants can be identified by the following on their BCBSTX ID card:
- The TRS-ActiveCare logo will be displayed on the participants’ ID card.
- TRS-ActiveCare Primary and TRS-ActiveCare Primary+ plan holders will have ID cards with a three-character prefix of T2U.
- TRS-ActiveCare HD and TRS-ActiveCare 2 plan holders will have ID cards with a three-character prefix of T2S and a network ID of BCA.
For patients on TRS-ActiveCare Primary and TRS-ActiveCare Primary+, you must be their assigned provider to provide primary care services. Patient eligibility and benefits should be checked using Availity® or your preferred vendor before every scheduled appointment. Eligibility and benefit quotes include patients’ coverage status and other important information, such as applicable copays, coinsurance and deductibles. It’s strongly recommended that providers ask to see patients’ ID card and photo ID to guard against medical identity theft. If services may not be covered, patients should be notified that they may be billed directly.
Prior Authorization
You can check the Prior Authorization and Predeterminations page for the list of Administrative Services Only (ASO) services and procedure codes that require prior authorization for TRS participants. Refer to How to Submit a Prior Authorization or Prenotification to learn about submission processes.
Reminders
TRS will continue to use CVS Caremark as their pharmacy benefit manager. We encourage you to attend provider training sessions related to TRS-ActiveCare benefits, prior authorization requirements and ID cards. Continue to watch News and Updates and our Blue Review newsletter for more details on TRS-ActiveCare.
If you have any questions, please contact your BCBSTX Network Management Representative.
As a reminder, it is important to check eligibility and benefits before rendering services. This step will help you determine if prior authorization is required for a participant. For additional information, such as definitions and links to helpful resources, refer to the Eligibility and Benefits section on BCBSTX’s provider website.
Please note that checking eligibility and benefits, and/or the fact that a service or treatment has been prior authorized or predetermined for benefits are not a guarantee of payment. Benefits will be determined once a claim is received and will be based upon, among other things the participant’s eligibility and the terms of the member’s certificate of coverage applicable on the date services were rendered. If you have questions, contact the number on the ID card.
Availity is a trademark of Availity, LLC, a separate company that operates a health information network to provide electronic information exchange services to medical professionals. Availity provides administrative services to BCBSTX. BCBSTX makes no endorsement, representations or warranties regarding any products or services provided by third party vendors such as Availity. If you have any questions about the products or services provided by such vendors, you should contact the vendor(s) directly.
Click to view the training declk “AIM Provider Training for Prefixs T2U and T2S”
Click to view the training slide deck called “Introduction to TRS-ActiveCare”
TRS, Selection of PCP, Help
Below are two screenshots with notes that may help you field calls today. They are taken from the BCBS/TRS Employee Website: https://www.bcbstx.com/trsactivecare/doctors-and-hospitals
Medical Record Retention Time Frame
Minimum of 7 Years From Anniversary Date of Last Treatment
- Patient younger than 18? Keep until 21 OR for 7 years from the date of last treatement (whichever one is longer).
- Civil, criminal, administrative related medical records keep if case is not resolved.
- Applies to electronic or paper
- OB guidelins baby turns 21, but check with liability carrier.
HELP for CoVid Uninsured
One of POET physicians has passed on the following information about a way to be reimbursed for taking care of uninsured CoVid patients that are hospitalized.
The office states they are using this method and it is relatively easy to sign up and the payment is prompt.
If you have questions please call POET and we will direct you to help.
Follow this link for more information:
Prompt Payment Discounts for Patients 06/01/2016
Giving patients “cash” discounts patients can be problematic. However, a carefully developed, written prompt payment discount policy could work for your practice (read the article from TMA below).
One concern is that most of your health care payment plan contracts likely specify that the plan will pay “the lesser of” the provider’s usual charge or the plan allowable. When you give a reduced price to other patients, the plan could possibly claim that that reduced price is your REAL usual charge. If the plan has been paying you more than that, it could try to recoup the difference.
However, a carefully developed prompt payment discount policy such as the following could work for your practice. Be sure to put the policy in writing.
- Offer the discounts only for services that are paid in full at the time of the service, in advance, or maybe within a certain number of days.
- Make it clear that the discount is available to anyone who meets your terms, unless their insurer’s policies or contracts prohibit it. If an insurer can pay you in full within your terms for the discount, it receives the discount, too.
- Apply the discount s to your standard fees, not to any contractually reduced fees.
- Inform your patients of the availability of the discount as appropriate during the billing process.
- Make efforts to ensure that the amount of fees discounted to patients bears a reasonable relationship to the amount of avoided collection costs.
For details about the legal issues involved, read TMA’s white paper, “Prompt Payment Discounts for Patients.”
Also, remember that under Texas law (House Bill 1731), you must post a notice in your waiting room to inform patients they can request a copy of your billing policies.
Need help developing billing and payment policies? TMA Practice Consulting can evaluate these, and other office policies and procedures. An Operations Assessment identifies risks within a practice and shows you how to reduce or eliminate them. The TMA Education Center has on-demand webinars that can help with billing, prompt payment, and clean claims issues.
Published Aug. 28, 2012
NOTICE: This information is provided as a commentary on legal issues and is not intended to provide advice on any specific legal matter. The Texas Medical Association provides this information with the express understanding that 1) no attorney-client relationship exists, 2) neither TMA nor its attorneys are engaged in providing legal advice and 3) the information is of a general character. This is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. While every effort is made to ensure that content is complete, accurate and timely, TMA cannot guarantee the accuracy and totality of the information contained in this article and assumes no legal responsibility for loss or damages resulting from the use of this content. You should not rely on this information when dealing with personal legal matters; rather legal advice from retained legal counsel should be sought.
Last Updated On
June 01, 2016
Cigna HealthSpring PCP E-Newsletter August 2020
Check out HealthSpring E-News:
Topics this month include:
- Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Spotlight – Isolating & Distancing
- Low Income Subsidy (LIS) Overview
- COVID-19 Resources
- CAHPS Corner – Health Outcome Survey (HOS)
Have you signed up for the TRS training?
Two dates left !
| Provider Webinar Training Select the link of the session you would like to attend. Complete the registration. Check for confirmation email with instructions on how to join. Space for the online training is limited. If you received a notice that the Webinar you chose is full, please choose another option. |
Wednesday, August 19, 2020 1:00 pm | Central Daylight Time Wednesday, August 26, 2020 10:00 am | Central Daylight Time |
To view the slide decks:
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