Requesting a Claim Review
After adjudication, additional evaluation may be necessary (such as place of treatment, procedure/revenue code changes, or out-of-area claim processing issues).
- To request a review, complete the Claim Review Form
- Follow instructions on the form and mail to the address indicated.
Non-Participating Providers
Claims for certain services may be eligible for payment review under the No Surprises Act (NSA) if you don’t have a contract with us. Log on to Availity® to request a claim review and initiate a negotiation for NSA-eligible services. See our user guide for more details.
Appeals
A provider appeal is an official request for reconsideration of a previous denial issued by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana (BCBSMT) Medical Management area. This is different from the request for claim review request process outlined above. Most provider appeal requests are related to a length of stay or treatment setting denial.
- Appeals may be initiated in writing or by telephone, upon receipt of a denial letter and instructions from BCBSMT.
- A routing form, along with relevant claim information and any supporting medical or clinical documentation must be included with the appeal request.
- The physician/clinical peer review process takes 30 days and concludes with written notification of appeal determination.
A member appeal may be submitted by the member or their authorized representative, physician, facility or other health care practitioner.
Written or verbal authorization from the member is required with the exception of urgent care appeals. Urgent care appeals can be faxed to 406-441-5569. Brief descriptions of the various member appeal categories are listed below.
- A clinical appeal is a request to change an adverse determination for care or services that were denied on the basis of lack of medical necessity, or when services are determined to be experimental, investigational or cosmetic. May be pre- or post-service. Review is conducted by a physician.
- A non-clinical appeal is a request to reconsider a previous inquiry, complaint or action by BCBSMT that has not been resolved to the member's satisfaction. Relates to administrative health care services such as membership, access, claim payment, etc. May be pre-service or post-service. Review is conducted by a non-medical appeal committee.
- Urgent care or expedited appeals may be requested if the member, authorized representative or physician feels that non-approval of the requested service may seriously jeopardize the member's health. The physician or facility may request an expedited appeal by calling the number on the back of the member's ID card.