News Archive

This archive contains messages that were previously posted in the e-referral News section. The content of these articles includes technical system issues that have been resolved or information that is now part of the regular Blue Care Network referral process.

BCN Care Management provider call volumes high

BCN Care Management is experiencing high call volumes. To avoid waiting on the phone line, providers should use BCN's e-referral system to submit or check the status of referrals or requests for clinical review. We encourage providers to call the Medical Information Specialist line at 1-800-392-2512 with urgent requests only.


Updated BCN provider affiliations codes on e-referral

When using the e-referral Provider Search feature, results will include a Provider Network column with a list of provider affiliation codes. Specific BCN networks are associated with these codes, for example U = University of Michigan/U-M Premier Care/GradCare. Find the latest codes and networks (PDF).

Blue Care Network announces date for program changes for breast biopsy (excisional)

BCN previously communicated in the Nov.-Dec BCN Provider News, clinical review will be required for breast biopsy (excisional) and CCTA for BCN commercial and BCN Advantage HMO-POSSM and BCN Advantage HMOSM members effective Jan. 1, 2014. The effective date of these changes will be Jan. 6, 2014.

Blue Care Network announces date for program changes for contrast-enhanced computed tomography angiography of the heart and/or coronary arteries (CTA, CCTA)

BCN previously communicated in the Nov.-Dec BCN Provider News, clinical review will be required for a CTA or CCTA for BCN commercial and HMO-POSSM and BCN Advantage HMOSM members effective Feb. 1, 2014. The effective date of these changes will be Feb. 3, 2014.

Blue Care Network offers Behavioral Health informational webinars

Blue Care Network invites you to attend a webinar for outpatient behavioral health clinics, individual behavioral health providers and provider groups.

The webinars are scheduled for the following dates, with two sessions available each day:

  • December 2
  • December 3
  • December 4
  • December 6

Each day, there will be a morning session from 9:30 to 11 a.m. and an afternoon session from 3 to 4:30 p.m. To RSVP, download the invitation (PDF) and follow the directions at the bottom of the form.

For more information, please contact Christina Caldwell at 734-332-2949.

Determining medical necessity for BCN Advantage members: inpatient vs. observation stays

When BCN AdvantageSM members are admitted for inpatient care, the process that is used to determine whether their stay is medically necessary is different than the process Original Medicare uses.

Here are some guidelines that clarify how BCN Advantage determines medical necessity:

  • BCN Advantage uses InterQual® criteria and BCN-developed Local Rules to make determinations of medical necessity for all BCN Advantage members.
  • BCN Advantage does not require physician certification of inpatient status to ensure that a member's inpatient admission is reasonable and necessary. For Original Medicare patients, however, this certification is mandated in the Original Medicare rule found in the Code of Federal Regulations, under 42 CFR Part 424 subpart B and 42 CFR 412.3.
  • When the application of InterQual criteria or BCN-developed Local Rules results in a BCN Advantage member's inpatient admission being changed to observation status, you should bill all services as observation (including all charges); you should not bill the services as ancillary only (TOB 0121).
  • The BCN Advantage clinical review process, as outlined in the Care Management and BCN Advantage chapters of the Blue Care Network Provider Manual, takes precedence over the Original Medicare coverage determination process. This applies to requests related to any inpatient vs. observation stay, including a denied inpatient stay billed as observation, inpatient-only procedures and the "two midnight" rule.

Additional information about InterQual criteria is available in the Care Management and BCN Advantage chapters of the Blue Care Network Provider Manual.

Enter to win a $250 gift certificate — Take the 2013 Care Management survey

Update: The survey period has now ended. Thank you to those who responded.

Blue Care Network Care Management Services wants to hear from you! How can we improve our services to better meet your needs and those of the BCN members you serve? Please take our online survey for a chance to win one of two $250 gift certificates. Survey responses must be submitted no later than December 31, 2013, to be eligible for the drawing. One entry per person. Winners will be chosen in January 2014. For more information, view the survey flier (PDF).

New questionnaires available for lumbar spine surgery

Effective Nov. 18, 2013, Blue Care Network updated the questionnaires for lumbar spine surgery that require clinical review.

The changes include but are not limited to:

  • Title changes for two of the lumbar spine surgery questionnaires.
  • Instructions for the question of whether the service is being performed for a pediatric patient less than 18 years of age to select "yes" and submit without completing the rest of the questionnaire for pediatric patients.
  • For the lumbar spine surgery questionnaire, trauma clarified as "acute" for questions seven through 10.
  • The CPT code of 22633 added to the lumbar fusion spine surgery questionnaire.
  • The CPT code of 22207 removed from requiring prior authorization.

The updated questionnaires are available on the e-referral Clinical Review & Criteria Charts page, under the Medical necessity criteria / benefit review section.

New questionnaires available for arthroscopy of the knee

Effective Nov. 18, 2013, Blue Care Network updated the questionnaires for arthroscopy of the knee that require clinical review.

The changes include but are not limited to:

  • Reference updates.
  • Instructions for the question of whether the service is being performed for a pediatric patient less than 18 years of age to select "yes" and submit without completing the rest of the questionnaire for pediatric patients.
  • For the questionnaire "Arthroscopy of the knee, (surgical), for chondroplasty," question six was updated to remove reference of the finding of crepitus.
  • For the questionnaire "Arthroscopy of the knee, (surgical), with meniscectomy or meniscus repair," the question related to the finding of a positive McMurray's test was removed.
  • For the questionnaire "Arthroscopy of the knee (diagnostic) and synovectomy (limited)," a question was added related to the finding of true knee locking.
  • For the questionnaire "Arthroscopy of the knee, (surgical), with lateral release," two questions were combined into one.

The updated questionnaires are available on the e-referral Clinical Review & Criteria Charts page, under the Medical necessity criteria / benefit review section.

2013 InterQual® acute care criteria take effect November 4

Blue Care Network's Care Management staff will begin using the 2013 McKesson Corporation Interim updates related to InterQual criteria for adult and pediatric care on Nov. 4, 2013, when making determinations on clinical review requests for members with coverage through BCN HMO products, BCN AdvantageSM HMO-POS and BCN Advantage HMO FocusSM. These criteria apply to inpatient admissions and continued stay discharge readiness.

Other 2013 InterQual criteria were implemented beginning July 1, 2013. Changes to BCN's Local Rules were also implemented July 1.

You can find additional information about these criteria updates in the July-August 2013 issue of the BCN Provider News, on page 27.

Reminder: Blue Cross Complete member authorizations must now go through NaviNet

Effective September 1, 2013, all Blue Cross Complete member authorization requests must go through NaviNet. If you try to submit a request for a Blue Cross Complete patient in e-referral, you will see an error message in red near the top of the screen and your request will not be saved or authorized. For more information, please review the Blue Cross Complete Provider News (PDF) found on MiBlueCrossComplete.com/providers.

Blue Cross Complete authorization requests must go through NaviNet beginning September 1

Blue Cross Complete (Medicaid) member authorization requests can be entered into e-referral until midnight on August 31, 2013. Effective September 1, Blue Cross Complete member authorization requests must go through NaviNet. Users entering information into e-referral for Blue Cross Complete patients after August 31 will see an error message redirecting them to NaviNet and their information will not be saved or authorized in e-referral. For more information, please review the Blue Cross Complete Provider News found on MiBlueCrossComplete.com/providers.

Blue Care Network announces date for sleep management program changes

Clinical review is required for BCN commercial, BCN Advantage HMO-POSSM and BCN Advantage HMOSM members for all home, outpatient facility and clinic-based sleep studies. BCN previously announced that a non-diagnostic home sleep study will be required to be considered for coverage of a sleep study in the outpatient facility or clinic for adult members with symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea without certain other comorbid conditions. The effective date of these changes will be August 5, 2013.

Blue Care Network announces questionnaire changes effective August 5

Blue Care Network is updating two questionnaires for procedures that require prior authorization. Updated questionnaires will be in effect August 5, 2013, for the following procedures:

  • Varicose Vein Treatment (Ligation, Stripping and Echosclerotherapy)
  • Endometrial Ablation

Updated sample questionnaires will be available by the effective date at ereferrals.bcbsm.com. Click on Clinical Review & Criteria Charts and look under Medical necessity criteria/benefit review requirements.

Lumbar spine surgery questionnaire updated effective July 29, 2013

Effective July 29, 2013, the procedure code *62287 will be removed from the lumbar spine questionnaire titled Lumbar Discectomy / Hemilaminectomy with or without Discectomy/Foraminotomy. However, prior authorization is still required for this procedure, which is considered experimental and investigational.

Blue Cross Complete announces changes effective August 1

Important changes are taking place August 1, 2013, that will affect how providers do business with Blue Cross Complete. These changes involve Blue Cross Complete claims, electronic payments, medical and pharmacy authorizations, some of the systems providers use and the phone numbers they call. We're making these changes because we want to make it easier for providers to do business with us as we prepare to grow as a Michigan Medicaid health plan and respond to changes that are coming with National Health Care Reform.

To announce these changes, we've created a special print publication called Blue Cross Complete Provider News. This publication was mailed June 25, 2013, to all contracted Blue Cross Complete providers.

Please contact your Blue Cross Complete provider representative for more information.

Blue Care Network announces delay in changes for sleep management

There has been a delay in changes announced previously for outpatient facility and clinic-based sleep studies. Changes were to be effective July 1, 2013. A nondiagnostic home sleep study will be required to be considered for coverage of a sleep study in the outpatient facility or clinic. This applies to adult members with symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea without certain other comorbid conditions.

We will communicate an updated effective date in the near future.

Blue Care Network requires clinical review for BCN commercial and BCN AdvantageSM members for all home, outpatient facility and clinic-based sleep studies.

Blue Care Network announces changes for frenulum surgery

Blue Care Network no longer requires clinical review for frenulum surgery, effective July 1, 2013. Please see the BCBSM/BCN medical policy for Frenulum Surgery (Frenumectomy, Frenulectomy, Frenectomy, Frenotomy) for inclusionary and exclusionary guidelines. The medical policy is available on web-DENIS in BCN Provider Publications and Resources on the Medical Policy Manual page.

2013 InterQual® criteria take effect July 1

Blue Care Network's care management staff uses McKesson Corporation's InterQual criteria when reviewing requests for Blue Care Network and BCN AdvantageSM members. InterQual criteria have been a nationally recognized industry standard for 20 years. Other criteria resources that may be used are BCN medical policies, the member's specific benefit certificate, and clinical review by the BCN medical directors for the most appropriate level of care.

McKesson Corporation's CareEnhanceTM solutions include InterQual clinical decision support tools. McKesson is a leading provider of supply, information and care management products and services designed to manage costs and improve health care quality.

BCN will begin using the following 2013 InterQual criteria on July 1, 2013:

Criteria/Version Application

InterQual Acute – Adult and Pediatrics
Exceptions-local rules

  • Inpatient admissions
  • Continued stay discharge readiness

InterQual Level of Care - Subacute and Skilled Nursing Facility
Exceptions-local rules

  • Subacute and skilled nursing facility admissions

InterQual Rehabilitation - Adult and Pediatrics
Exceptions-local rules

  • Inpatient admissions
  • Continued stay and discharge readiness

InterQual Level of Care – Long Term Acute Care
Exceptions-local rules

  • Long term acute care facility admissions

InterQual Level of Care – Home Care
Exceptions-local rules

  • Home care requests

InterQual Imaging

  • Imaging studies and X-rays

InterQual Procedures – Adult and Pediatrics

  • Surgery and invasive procedures

BCBSM/BCN medical policies

  • Services that require clinical review for medical necessity

Plan developed imaging criteria

  • Imaging studies and X-rays

Blue Care Network reimbursement for intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections

Intra-articular HA injections are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for relief of pain in patients 21 years and older with osteoarthritis of the knee who fail treatment with non-pharmacologic and conservative therapies (for example, acetaminophen or NSAIDs). There are currently six IA-HA products available for treatment. Based on current clinical evidence, differences in efficacy and safety between IA-HA preparations have not been demonstrated.

Blue Care Network's current reimbursement for each specific product is as follows:

HCPCS code for billing Drug Billing unit/qty Reimbursement
J7321 Supartz per dose $100
J7323 Euflexxa per dose $100
J7326 Gel-One 30 mg $300
J7324 Orthovisc per dose $87.5
J7325 Synvisc, One 1mg $6.25

BCN does not require prior authorization for these drugs. Clinical claims editing will apply to ensure appropriate use, including but not limited to diagnosis, dosing limits and frequency of administration. This does not apply to BCN AdvantageSM and Blue Cross Complete members. Actual payments will be according to contract terms with the provider.

Osteoporosis: Intravenous bisphosphonate therapy — Reclast infusion questionnaire

Bisphosphonates are currently the most predominately prescribed therapy for osteoporosis. Because there is no reliable evidence demonstrating one bisphosphonate is more effective or safe over another, the generic form of Fosamax brings the most value for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

For members who do not have the option of oral therapy, Reclast is available as an intravenous bisphosphonate indicated for treatment and prevention of osteoporosis. Blue Care Network requires clinical review for all Reclast requests for both BCN commercial and BCN AdvantageSM members to ensure safe and appropriate use of the medication.

Coverage for Reclast requires documentation that adequate trials of oral bisphosphonates (such as generic alendronate) have been ineffective based on objective documentation, not tolerated despite taking it as recommended, or contraindicated.

A new Reclast questionnaire (PDF) has been placed on the e-referral website to allow for efficient processing of requests. When requesting authorizations for Reclast on e-referral, the system will prompt the submitter to complete a questionnaire to determine the appropriateness of the request. If clinical criteria are met, approval will be granted for one visit for Reclast 5mg yearly.

Blue Care Network announces questionnaire update for sleep management

Clinical review is required for Blue Care Network commercial and BCN AdvantageSM members for all home, outpatient facility and clinic-based sleep studies.

Two new sleep study codes for attended sleep studies in children younger than 6 years of age have been added to the Outpatient Treatment Setting Sleep Study Questionnaire. These codes — *95782 and *95783 — will also be reflected in the near future in the updated medical policy for Sleep Disorders, Diagnosis and Medical Management.

Detailed information about BCN's Sleep Management Program is available on the e-referral home page at ereferrals.bcbsm.com. Click on Sleep Management.

*CPT codes, descriptions and two-digit numeric modifiers only are copyright 2012 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.

Global referrals automatically entered with new BCN minimum requirements effective May 3, 2013

Last fall, we announced changes to the global referral process for Blue Care Network and Blue Cross Complete, effective January 1, 2013.

  • Global referrals should be written for a minimum of 90 days.
  • For three chronic conditions — oncology, rheumatology and renal management — global referrals should be written for one year.

We have been manually correcting the end dates of referrals written for less than the required minimum days until system changes were in place.

Effective May 3, 2013, our system automatically corrects referrals that are not written for the 90- and 365-day requirements. If you attempt to enter a referral for less than the minimum requirement, you will receive a warning message and the system will automatically enter the correct minimum.

Radiology management program changes effective May 1, 2013

Updated appropriateness questionnaires for eight high-tech radiology procedures are now available. Click on Radiology Management for information about the Radiology Management program and a list of the updated questionnaires. Scroll down to the Resources section for a link to sample questionnaires for high-tech radiology procedures.