Sep. 24, 2021
Beginning Jan. 1, 2022, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana (BCBSMT) will implement new medical policies and a new program for claims for certain outpatient laboratory services provided to some of our commercial members. Our new Laboratory Management Program will help ensure our members get the right care at the right time and in the right setting. It will also help you better prepare and submit claims that support and reflect high quality, affordable care delivery to our members.
See below for key points to help you prepare.
Medical Policy Updates
Watch for new and revised BCBSMT medical policies effective Jan. 1, 2022, related to certain laboratory, services, tests, and procedures. View details about our new Laboratory Management Program in the Coding and Compensation Policies section of the Secure Provider Portal.
Affected claims: our new program will include the following outpatient laboratory claims:
- Dates-of-service on or after Jan. 1, 2022
- Performed in an outpatient setting (typically office, hospital outpatient, or independent laboratory)
Note: Laboratory services provided in emergency room, hospital observation and hospital inpatient settings are excluded from this program. Member contract benefits and clinical criteria still apply.
New Claim Simulation Tool
Effective Jan. 1, 2022, you can get free access to the program’s Trial Claim Advice Tool, which allows you to input codes and diagnoses to see, before submitting a claim, the potential outcome of your claim. The Trial Claim Advice Tool is a free simulation tool and does not guarantee approval, coverage, or reimbursement of services. Responses consider information entered through the tool for the date of service entered and historical claims finalized through the previous business day. Claims not yet finalized won’t be considered.
What you need to do:
- To access the Trial Claim Advice Tool, log on to the Availity® Provider Portal
. - To get to the Trial Claim Advice Tool, use the single sign-on feature via the BCBSMT-branded Payer Spaces section within the Availity portal.
- If you’re not a registered Availity user, we encourage you to sign up before the January 2022 program activation, to gain access to the Trial Claim Advice Tool. Register on the Availity website today, at no charge. For registration help, call Availity Client Services at 800-282-4548.
Provider Training: Attend free webinars on how to use the Trial Claim Advice Tool and learn more about the Laboratory Management Program. To register, select your preferred date and time from the list below:
- Nov. 4, 2021 from 11:00 to Noon MST
- Nov. 9, 2021 from 9 to 10 am MST
- Nov. 11, 2021 from 10 to 11 pm MST
- Nov. 17, 2021 from 10 to 11 MST
- Nov. 23, 2021 from 9 to 10 am MST
- Dec. 1, 2021 from 10 to 11 MST
- Dec. 7, 2021 from 1 to 2 pm MST
- Dec. 15, 2021 from 10 to 11 MST
- Dec. 28, 2021 from 10 to 11 MST
- Jan. 5, 2022 from 10 to 11 MST
For More Information: Watch News and Updates for additional updates.
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 BCBSMT. BCBSMT makes no endorsement, representations or warranties regarding any products or services provided by third party vendors such as Availity.