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Provider Focus - May 2009 - Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

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<strong>May</strong> <strong>2009</strong><br />

<strong>Provider</strong>focus<br />

Published Monthly for Physicians, Health Care <strong>Provider</strong>s, and Their Office Staff<br />

Technology Plays a Vital Role in Improving the Quality <strong>of</strong> Health Care<br />

During her confirmation hearing,<br />

Secretary <strong>of</strong> Health and Human<br />

Services Kathleen Sebelius said<br />

health information technology “lays<br />

the foundation for a 21st-century<br />

system to reduce medical errors,<br />

lower health care costs, and empower<br />

health consumers.”<br />

<strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Cross</strong> <strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Shield</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>Massachusetts</strong> (BCBSMA) has long<br />

supported e-health initiatives in<br />

<strong>Massachusetts</strong>, through our involvement<br />

with the <strong>Massachusetts</strong><br />

eHealth Collaborative and the eRx<br />

Collaborative. That’s because we<br />

believe the most promising way to<br />

control health care costs is by<br />

improving the quality <strong>of</strong> care, and<br />

that technology plays a crucial role<br />

in achieving this goal.<br />

As part <strong>of</strong> BCBSMA’s goal <strong>of</strong> increasing<br />

the safety, quality and affordability<br />

<strong>of</strong> patient care in <strong>Massachusetts</strong>,<br />

in 2008 we announced that we<br />

would require providers to prescribe<br />

medications electronically to qualify<br />

for any <strong>of</strong> our physician incentive<br />

programs starting in January 1, 2011.<br />

A recent study, Adoption <strong>of</strong><br />

Electronic Health Record<br />

2<br />

4<br />

5<br />

7<br />

In This Issue<br />

Reminder for PCPs on<br />

Panel Status and After-<br />

Hours Reimbursement<br />

Recredentialing Tips for<br />

Behavioral Health<br />

<strong>Provider</strong>s<br />

Functional Rating Index<br />

Tool Online for<br />

Chiropractic Practices<br />

Medical Policy Update<br />

Capabilities in <strong>Massachusetts</strong><br />

Physician Practices* examines<br />

physicians’ use <strong>of</strong> basic and<br />

advanced electronic health record<br />

(EHR) capabilities.<br />

Of the 519 physicians surveyed<br />

(roughly 3% <strong>of</strong> <strong>Massachusetts</strong> physicians):<br />

36% said they use all “basic”<br />

EHR capabilities, such as electronic<br />

medication and problem<br />

lists, and functionality to order<br />

prescriptions electronically.<br />

5% claimed adoption <strong>of</strong> all<br />

“advanced” EHR capabilities,<br />

including disease management<br />

and health maintenance functionality.<br />

Nearly 75% said they order prescriptions<br />

electronically for at<br />

least some <strong>of</strong> their patients.<br />

66% regularly transmit prescriptions<br />

electronically to pharmacies<br />

via fax or computer.<br />

“The research clearly shows the<br />

progress that has been made in the<br />

state to increase adoption <strong>of</strong> clinical<br />

information technology,” said Greg<br />

In Brief<br />

LeGrow, BCBSMA’s Director <strong>of</strong> e-<br />

Health Innovation. “We still have a<br />

way to go, but the results are<br />

encouraging and demonstrate the<br />

impact aligned efforts can have to<br />

further the use <strong>of</strong> technology that<br />

improves the quality and affordability<br />

<strong>of</strong> care delivered.”<br />

Joining the Technology Movement<br />

To assist prescribers who have not<br />

adopted this technology, BCBSMA<br />

is sponsoring new e-prescribing<br />

licenses on a first-come, first-served<br />

basis in <strong>2009</strong> to selected prescribers<br />

who have not received prior sponsorship<br />

from the eRx Collaborative or<br />

BCBSMA.<br />

In addition, the Centers for<br />

Medicare & Medicaid Services is<br />

<strong>of</strong>fering incentive payments this<br />

continued on page 3<br />

New Google Health Online Training Available<br />

As we’ve reported in <strong>Provider</strong> <strong>Focus</strong>,<br />

BCBSMA members can now safely<br />

import their health history and other<br />

health data into a secure online<br />

Google Health personal health<br />

record free <strong>of</strong> charge.<br />

Learn how Google Health can help<br />

members organize their health<br />

history and share it with providers<br />

by completing our new online<br />

training course.<br />

Signing Up for Training Is Easy!<br />

To register, log on to our website at<br />

www.bluecrossma.com/provider<br />

and select Resource Center><br />

Training & Registration>Course<br />

List, then select About Google<br />

Health.


Physician News<br />

Attention PCP Offices: Reminders on Panel Status, After-Hours Reimbursement<br />

BCBSMA values the services that primary care physicians<br />

(PCPs) provide in managing our members’ total<br />

care. During this time when PCPs are in high demand,<br />

we would like to remind you <strong>of</strong> our guidelines for PCP<br />

<strong>of</strong>fice practice.<br />

Panel Designations<br />

If you have an open panel, we expect it to be open for<br />

all BCBSMA members. We appreciate when PCPs are<br />

able to maintain an open panel status for new patients to<br />

help ensure that our members have access to the care<br />

that they need. Please also note that 90-day written<br />

notice is contractually required when closing your panel<br />

to new members.<br />

If you have closed your panel to new members, but it is<br />

open to existing members:<br />

You will not be listed on the Find a Doctor section<br />

<strong>of</strong> our website as a participating PCP for members<br />

to choose.<br />

Your existing patients, who may change from one<br />

health plan to a BCBSMA managed care product,<br />

may continue to have you listed as their PCP.<br />

Our expectation is that your panel is closed with all<br />

health plans, not just with BCBSMA.<br />

If you have closed your panel to both new members and<br />

existing members:<br />

You will not be listed on the Find a Doctor section<br />

<strong>of</strong> our website as a participating PCP for members<br />

to choose.<br />

Our expectation is that your panel is closed with all<br />

health plans, not just with BCBSMA.<br />

Your existing patients, who may change from one<br />

health plan to a BCBSMA managed care product,<br />

will not be able to continue with you as the PCP, as<br />

your panels are closed for both new and existing<br />

members.<br />

No managed care members will be added to your<br />

panel and members requesting to be added to your<br />

panel will be advised to select another PCP with an<br />

open panel.<br />

If you have questions about your current panel status,<br />

please log on to www.bluecrossma.com/provider and<br />

click Manage Your Business>Find a Doctor or call<br />

our <strong>Provider</strong> Enrollment area at 1-800-419-4419.<br />

Reimbursement for Sundays, Major Holidays<br />

We will continue to reimburse participating physicians<br />

for CPT ®´´ code 99050 (Services requested after posted<br />

<strong>of</strong>fice hours in addition to basic service). Major holidays,<br />

for which this code would apply, include only the following<br />

six holidays:<br />

New Year’s Day<br />

Memorial Day<br />

Independence Day (July 4th)<br />

Labor Day<br />

Thanksgiving Day<br />

Christmas Day.<br />

InterQual ®´´ Behavioral Health and Medical/Surgical Level <strong>of</strong> Care Criteria Now Available Online<br />

Our Medical Review Resources page now gives you Determine prior to rendering services whether<br />

access to the InterQual ®´´ Behavioral Health and<br />

the services meet the InterQual ®´´ criteria.<br />

Medical/Surgical Level <strong>of</strong> Care Criteria. The new<br />

page enables providers to use a set <strong>of</strong> drop-down To access the Level <strong>of</strong> Care Criteria, log on to<br />

menus to access the InterQual ®´´ Level <strong>of</strong> Care Criteria www.bluecrossma.com/provider and select<br />

for your patient—our members.<br />

Manage Your Business>Medical Review<br />

Resources>InterQual ®´´ Behavioral Health and<br />

Medical-Surgical Level <strong>of</strong> Care Criteria. To<br />

As a reminder, BCBSMA uses InterQual ®´´ criteria to<br />

make medical necessity determinations. Referring to<br />

the criteria may help you:<br />

Understand how BCBSMA made a medical<br />

necessity determination for a service that has<br />

been rendered, or<br />

submit an InterQual ®´´ SmartSheet TM for a procedure<br />

that requires prior authorization, select McKesson<br />

InterQual ®´´ SmartSheets from the Medical<br />

Review Resources page.<br />

2<br />

<strong>Provider</strong>focus • <strong>May</strong> <strong>2009</strong>


Member Education<br />

BCBSMA Offers Wellness Tools to Empower Our Members<br />

To help our members make the<br />

connection between lifestyle habits<br />

and their long-term health, we<br />

<strong>of</strong>fer a suite <strong>of</strong> wellness programs<br />

that empower them to make<br />

informed, healthy choices.<br />

We recently enhanced our wellness<br />

website to provide an integrated<br />

set <strong>of</strong> services designed to help<br />

make behavior changes and<br />

improve members’ overall health.<br />

At www.mybluehealth.com,<br />

members can find our wellness<br />

solution, which includes:<br />

Health assessments<br />

Lifestyle management tools<br />

Online coaching tools<br />

Personalized diet and exercise<br />

plans<br />

A library <strong>of</strong> health and wellness<br />

articles, tips and recipes<br />

Online communities<br />

Access to discounted networks<br />

<strong>of</strong> complementary and alternative<br />

health providers.<br />

Technology Plays a Vital Role in Improving the Quality <strong>of</strong> Health Care<br />

continued on page 3<br />

year to early adopters <strong>of</strong> e-prescribing<br />

technology; providers who<br />

delay use <strong>of</strong> e-prescribing technology<br />

will be penalized for noncompliance.<br />

The incentives are intended<br />

to <strong>of</strong>fset the costs <strong>of</strong> implementing<br />

the new technology—<br />

about $3,000 to adopt, and monthly<br />

costs <strong>of</strong> $80 to $400 to maintain.<br />

The American Recovery and<br />

Reinvestment Act signed by<br />

President Barack Obama includes<br />

$19 billion to jump-start health<br />

care IT efforts over the next several<br />

years. The funding is another<br />

step the government is taking to<br />

support health care providers in<br />

adopting technology.<br />

For information on:<br />

CMS’ e-prescribing incentive<br />

program<br />

<strong>Massachusetts</strong> Health Data<br />

Consortium<br />

eRx Collaborative<br />

MassPro<br />

BCBSMA’s <strong>2009</strong> e-prescribing<br />

program<br />

Go to:<br />

Guidance and education about<br />

how to implement e-prescribing<br />

technology or EHRs, is <strong>of</strong>fered by<br />

MassPro, a federally designated<br />

health care Quality Improvement<br />

Organization, and the CMS<br />

Doctor’s Office Quality-<br />

Information Technology (DOQ-<br />

IT) initiative, which provides consulting<br />

services to physician<br />

groups in the state to expedite the<br />

adoption <strong>of</strong> electronic health<br />

records. Masspro has successfully<br />

enrolled more than 1,500 physicians<br />

from more than 450 practices<br />

in the CMS DOQ-IT initiative.<br />

* The survey was conducted in the summer <strong>of</strong><br />

2008 by CSC and sponsored by BCBSMA. Go to<br />

www.csc.com/ physician_study_09 for more<br />

details.<br />

www.cms.hhs.gov/erxincentive<br />

www.mahealthdata.org<br />

www.erxcollaborative.org<br />

www.masspro.org<br />

www.bluecrossma.com/provider; log<br />

on and click Resource Center>Admin<br />

Guidelines & Info>Fact Sheets<br />

3<br />

<strong>Provider</strong>focus • <strong>May</strong> <strong>2009</strong><br />

eRx Collaborative: A Conduit<br />

for Technology Adoption<br />

The eRx Collaborative has been<br />

working since 2003 to improve<br />

patient safety and increase health<br />

care affordability by underwriting<br />

the cost and promoting the adoption<br />

and utilization <strong>of</strong> e-prescribing<br />

technology in <strong>Massachusetts</strong>.<br />

The Collaborative has provided<br />

funding for more than 5,600 prescribers;<br />

those prescribers have<br />

sent 17.8 million e-prescriptions<br />

since the start <strong>of</strong> the program.<br />

In 2008 alone:<br />

The Collaborative deployed<br />

350 new prescribers during<br />

the year, surpassing the year’s<br />

goal <strong>of</strong> 200 new prescribers.<br />

Collaborative prescribers sent<br />

4 million e-prescriptions<br />

Approximately 82,600 e-prescriptions<br />

were changed due<br />

to drug safety alerts (2% <strong>of</strong><br />

the e-prescriptions written).<br />

Though no longer sponsoring<br />

renewals or new licenses in <strong>2009</strong>,<br />

the Collaborative will refocus its<br />

efforts to promote e-prescribing in<br />

<strong>Massachusetts</strong> through education<br />

and engagement <strong>of</strong> physicians,<br />

vendors, and consumers.


Behavioral Health Highlights<br />

Recredentialing Tips for Behavioral Health <strong>Provider</strong>s<br />

Q. How <strong>of</strong>ten does BCBSMA<br />

recredential providers<br />

A. BCBSMA recredentials pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />

providers every two years<br />

based on the provider’s birth date.<br />

For example: If you are scheduled<br />

to be recredentialed this year and<br />

your date <strong>of</strong> birth is June 12, 1969,<br />

your recredentialing application is<br />

due June 1, <strong>2009</strong>.<br />

Q. How will I be notified about<br />

recredentialing<br />

A. You will receive an automatic<br />

reminder via fax, mail, or e-mail to<br />

your address that’s on file with the<br />

Council for Affordable Quality<br />

Healthcare (CAQH). You will be<br />

asked to review, update, and attest<br />

to the accuracy <strong>of</strong> your data. To<br />

streamline the recredentialing<br />

process for all behavioral health<br />

providers, BCBSMA no longer<br />

requires two reference letters,<br />

except for MDs who do not have<br />

hospital privileges.<br />

Q.What documentation is required<br />

A. In addition to those listed on the<br />

recredentialing application, psychiatric<br />

nurse practitioners must<br />

attach a copy <strong>of</strong> his/her accreditation<br />

certificate from either the<br />

American Nurses Credentialing<br />

Center or the American Academy<br />

<strong>of</strong> Nurse Practitioners.<br />

Q.What happens if I don’t review<br />

and update my information<br />

A. If you do not respond to<br />

CAQH’s information request, your<br />

contract with BCBSMA will be terminated.<br />

If we do not receive your<br />

information within 30 days <strong>of</strong> contract<br />

termination, you will be<br />

required to go through full initial<br />

credentialing, which would require<br />

the completion <strong>of</strong> a new contracting<br />

application and the submission<br />

<strong>of</strong> two letters <strong>of</strong> reference.<br />

Q. If I am not due for recredentialing,<br />

but my address or other information<br />

changes, how do I update the<br />

information on file with CAQH<br />

A. You can change your provider<br />

information on file with CAQH at<br />

any time. Because all recredentialing<br />

notifications are sent to the<br />

address CAQH and BCBSMA have<br />

on file, it is important to notify<br />

both CAQH and BCBSMA <strong>of</strong> any<br />

changes to your information.<br />

Please Note: We recommend that<br />

you re-attest every 120 days to<br />

verify that your information is<br />

up-to-date. To do this, simply go to<br />

https://upd.caqh.org/oas or<br />

call the CAQH help desk at<br />

1-888-599-1771. The help desk<br />

can also assist you with login<br />

information.<br />

If you have any questions about<br />

recredentialing application packages,<br />

please call <strong>Provider</strong> Enrollment and<br />

Credentialing at 1-800-419-4419.<br />

State Mental Health Parity Law Goes Into Effect July 1, <strong>2009</strong><br />

The State Mental Health Parity<br />

Mandate will be implemented<br />

effective July 1, <strong>2009</strong>, and will<br />

apply to all fully insured accounts<br />

and administrative service contract<br />

accounts with contracts that currently<br />

cover benefits at the biological<br />

level for:<br />

Affective disorders<br />

Bipolar disorder<br />

Delirium and dementia<br />

Major depressive disorder<br />

Obsessive-compulsive disorder<br />

Panic disorder<br />

Paranoia and other psychotic<br />

disorders<br />

Schizoaffective disorder<br />

Schizophrenia<br />

Effective July 1, <strong>2009</strong>, the following<br />

four disorders will be reclassified<br />

as biologically-based, and will<br />

be covered as biologically-based, in<br />

addition to the nine conditions listed<br />

to the left:<br />

Autism<br />

Eating disorders<br />

Post-traumatic stress disorder<br />

(PTSD)<br />

Substance abuse.<br />

This change means that all <strong>of</strong> these<br />

disorders will be treated the same<br />

as medical and surgical benefits<br />

and will not have visit maximums<br />

or capitation on dollar amounts if<br />

no such limits apply to similar<br />

4<br />

<strong>Provider</strong>focus • <strong>May</strong> <strong>2009</strong><br />

treatments for medical and surgical<br />

conditions.<br />

As always, we urge you to use one<br />

<strong>of</strong> our provider technologies to<br />

check eligibility and benefits<br />

before delivering services.<br />

Upcoming Federal Mental Health<br />

Parity Changes<br />

These state-level changes come in<br />

advance <strong>of</strong> an important change<br />

regarding behavioral health coverage<br />

that will be addressed in the<br />

new federal Mental Health Parity<br />

Act, which will go into effect in<br />

October <strong>2009</strong>. We’ll provide more<br />

details about the federal change in<br />

a future issue <strong>of</strong> <strong>Provider</strong> <strong>Focus</strong>.


Behavioral Health Highlights<br />

Update on Neuropsychological Testing Authorization<br />

Requirements<br />

Our January 1, <strong>2009</strong> F.Y.I. regarding<br />

changes to neuropsychological testing<br />

authorization requirements noted<br />

that the requirement would become<br />

effective for members <strong>of</strong> our POS<br />

product for both in-network and out<strong>of</strong>-network<br />

care starting on <strong>May</strong> 1,<br />

<strong>2009</strong>. As clarification, the requirement<br />

will not apply to POS members<br />

who seek out-<strong>of</strong>-network care.<br />

Also, BCBSMA has decided to modify<br />

the approval range to a minimum<br />

<strong>of</strong> eight units, rather than the previously<br />

announced minimum <strong>of</strong> six<br />

units. Depending on the complexity<br />

<strong>of</strong> the required testing, prior authorization<br />

requests will be approved<br />

within the following ranges based on<br />

medial necessity:<br />

8-12 hours for children<br />

8-12 hours for adolescents, rather<br />

Ancillary News<br />

than the previously announced<br />

range <strong>of</strong> 6-10 units<br />

8-10 hours for adults.<br />

To access our F.Y.I. and resources<br />

related to this requirement, log on to<br />

www.bluecrossma.com/<br />

provider and click on the<br />

Neuropsychological Testing window<br />

on the right side <strong>of</strong> the home page.<br />

Prior authorization is not required for<br />

neuropsychological testing associated<br />

with acute inpatient medical or inpatient<br />

behavioral health care. Testing<br />

at all other levels <strong>of</strong> care does<br />

require prior authorization.<br />

If you have questions, please e-mail<br />

your <strong>Provider</strong> Relations Manager at<br />

behavioralhealth@bcbsma.com or<br />

call 1-800-316-BLUE (2583),<br />

Option 3.<br />

Chiropractic Services Authorization Program Training<br />

Join representatives from BCBSMA<br />

and our vendor, Healthways<br />

WholeHealth Networks, Inc.<br />

(HWHN), for an in-person seminar<br />

or online webinar about the chiropractic<br />

services authorization program.<br />

We will <strong>of</strong>fer three training<br />

sessions, in which you will learn:<br />

How the program has been<br />

updated in <strong>2009</strong><br />

How to use HWHN’s telephonic<br />

and web-based tools to submit<br />

authorization requests<br />

How to check member eligibility<br />

and benefits<br />

About the criteria HWHN uses<br />

to make authorization decisions.<br />

To register, log on to<br />

www.bluecrossma.com/provider<br />

and select Resource Center><br />

Training & Registration><br />

Course List>Chiropractic<br />

Authorization Program Training<br />

(under the Ancillary subheading).<br />

Location: Date: Time:<br />

BCBSMA<br />

One Enterprise Drive<br />

Quincy<br />

Webinar<br />

Wednesday, June 10, <strong>2009</strong><br />

Thursday, June 11, <strong>2009</strong><br />

Wednesday, June 10, <strong>2009</strong><br />

10:30 a.m. - noon<br />

10:30 a.m. - noon<br />

2 p.m. - 3 p.m.<br />

5<br />

<strong>Provider</strong>focus • <strong>May</strong> <strong>2009</strong><br />

Date Extended for Applying<br />

to Our Managed Care<br />

Behavioral Health Network<br />

We previously announced that<br />

our Managed Care Behavioral<br />

Health (MCBH) network would<br />

be open until <strong>May</strong> 1, <strong>2009</strong> to<br />

psychologists who indicate on<br />

the application that they are<br />

qualified to provide neuropsychological<br />

testing services to<br />

BCBSMA members and are<br />

accepting referrals. We are<br />

extending this invitation<br />

beyond <strong>May</strong> 1, <strong>2009</strong> until you<br />

receive further notice from<br />

BCBSMA. Log on to<br />

www.bluecrossma.com/<br />

provider and select News for<br />

You>FYIs for more information.<br />

Functional Rating Index (FRI)<br />

Tools Posted Online for<br />

Chiropractic Practices<br />

Our FRI tools are available as<br />

PDF files on <strong>Blue</strong>Links for<br />

<strong>Provider</strong>s. You can easily copy<br />

the files and post them on you<br />

practice’s website. Then, your<br />

patients can download and<br />

complete the questionnaire<br />

prior to the appointment. Log<br />

on to www.bluecrossma.com/<br />

provider and select the blue<br />

box marked Chiropractic<br />

Services Authorization<br />

Program on the right-side <strong>of</strong><br />

the page. The PDFs can be<br />

found in the pop-up window.<br />

The tools are available in<br />

English, Spanish, and<br />

Portuguese.


Billing Notes<br />

Individual Consideration Tips: Using a Not Otherwise Classified (NOC) Code<br />

To submit an individual consideration<br />

appeal with a NOC code,<br />

please complete our <strong>Provider</strong><br />

Appeal Form, and submit it with<br />

the required documentation and a<br />

detailed description <strong>of</strong> services<br />

performed; otherwise, you will be<br />

asked to resubmit the appeal with<br />

the required information. (The<br />

entire medical record is not<br />

required.)<br />

To download the Appeal Form, log<br />

on to www.bluecrossma.com/<br />

provider and click on Resource<br />

Center>Forms>Review and<br />

Appeals.<br />

Previous NOC Codes That Now<br />

Have a CPT/HCPCS Code<br />

We have been receiving appeals<br />

with NOC codes for services that<br />

now have a listed HCPCS or CPT<br />

code. To help expedite the payment<br />

process, please review the<br />

table below and update your<br />

records to reflect these codes.<br />

If you submit an appeal with a<br />

NOC code for a service that has an<br />

HCPCS or CPT code, we’ll return<br />

your appeal and request that you<br />

revise and resubmit the claim.<br />

Code:<br />

29828<br />

43273<br />

43279<br />

49652<br />

49653<br />

49654<br />

49655<br />

49656<br />

49657<br />

58541<br />

58542<br />

58543<br />

58544<br />

64650<br />

64653<br />

95992<br />

S2083<br />

S2117<br />

S2118<br />

S8037<br />

Narrative:<br />

Arthroscopy, shoulder, surgical; biceps tenodesis<br />

Endoscopic cannulation <strong>of</strong> papilla with direct visualization <strong>of</strong> common bile duct(s) and/or pancreatic<br />

duct(s) add on code (List separately in addition to code(s) for primary procedure. Use 43273 in conjunction<br />

with 43260, 43261, 43263-43265, 43267-43272)<br />

Laparoscopy, surgical, esophagomyotomy (Heller type), with fundoplasty, when performed<br />

Laparoscopy, surgical, repair, ventral, umbilical, spigelian or epigastric hernia (includes mesh insertion,<br />

when performed); reducible<br />

Laparoscopy, surgical, repair, ventral, umbilical, spigelian or epigastric hernia (includes mesh insertion,<br />

when performed); incarcerated or strangulated<br />

Laparoscopy, surgical, repair, incisional hernia (includes mesh insertion, when performed); reducible<br />

Laparoscopy, surgical, repair, incisional hernia (includes mesh insertion, when performed); incarcerated or<br />

strangulated<br />

Laparoscopy, surgical, repair, recurrent incisional hernia (includes mesh insertion, when performed);<br />

reducible<br />

Laparoscopy, surgical, repair, recurrent incisional hernia (includes mesh insertion, when performed);<br />

incarcerated or strangulated<br />

Laparoscopy, surgical, supracervical hysterectomy, for uterus 250 g or less<br />

Laparoscopy, surgical, supracervical hysterectomy, for uterus 250 g or less; with removal <strong>of</strong> tube(s) and/or<br />

ovary(s)<br />

Laparoscopy, surgical, supracervical hysterectomy, for uterus greater than 250 g<br />

Laparoscopy, surgical, supracervical hysterectomy, for uterus greater than 250 g; with removal <strong>of</strong> tube(s)<br />

and/or ovary(s)<br />

Chemodenervation <strong>of</strong> eccrine glands; both axillae<br />

Chemodenervation <strong>of</strong> eccrine glands; other area(s) (e.g., scalp, face, neck), per day<br />

Canalith repositioning procedure(s) (e.g., Epley maneuver, Semont maneuver), per day<br />

Adjustment <strong>of</strong> gastric band diameter via subcutaneous port by injection or aspiration <strong>of</strong> saline<br />

Arthroereisis, subtalar<br />

Metal-on-metal total hip resurfacing, including acetabular and femoral components<br />

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography<br />

6<br />

<strong>Provider</strong>focus • <strong>May</strong> <strong>2009</strong>


Medical Policy Update<br />

Access the latest updates to medical<br />

policies and other documents via:<br />

www.bluecrossma.com/<br />

provider; click Medical Policies.<br />

Fax-on-Demand at 1-888-633-7654<br />

Changes<br />

Autologous Chondrocyte<br />

Implantation, 374. Adding coverage <strong>of</strong><br />

autologous chondrocyte implantation<br />

for identified medically necessary<br />

indications and criteria to align with<br />

<strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Cross</strong> <strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Shield</strong> Association<br />

national policy. Effective 8/1/09.<br />

Osteochondral Allograft and Autograft<br />

Transplantation, 111. New medical<br />

policy, aligning coverage and noncoverage<br />

<strong>of</strong> osteochondral allograft<br />

and autograft transplantation with<br />

BCBSA national policy. Effective<br />

8/1/09.<br />

Spinal,Vagal, Deep Brain, Cerebellar<br />

Stimulation, 083. Managed care<br />

guidelines: Authorizations are<br />

required for outpatient services with<br />

the exception <strong>of</strong> spinal cord stimulator<br />

trials. Effective 8/09.<br />

TENS, PENS/PNT, and NMES, 003:<br />

Managed Care guidelines:<br />

Referrals are not required for<br />

Medicare HMO <strong>Blue</strong> ® members,<br />

however, the device must be<br />

medically necessary, prescribed<br />

by a plan physician, and provided<br />

by a network provider. For all<br />

other Managed Care plans, any<br />

specialist visit requires a referral,<br />

except for visits performed by<br />

OB/GYN specialists. Authorizations<br />

are not required. Authorizations<br />

are required for outpatient<br />

services.<br />

Indemnity and PPO<br />

guidelines: Authorizations are<br />

required for most outpatient services<br />

as determined by the individual’s<br />

subscriber certificate.<br />

Effective 8/09.<br />

Clarifications<br />

Maze Surgery, 356. Clarifying coverage<br />

<strong>of</strong> CPT code 33257, operative<br />

tissue ablation and reconstruction <strong>of</strong><br />

atria, performed at the time <strong>of</strong> other<br />

cardiac procedure(s), limited (e.g.,<br />

modified maze procedure). Effective<br />

3/09.<br />

Medical Technology Assessment Noncovered<br />

Services, 400.<br />

Clarifying coverage for CPT ®´´<br />

code 33257, effective 3/09.<br />

Clarifying the non-coverage for<br />

SonoCine ®´´, Adjunctive Breast<br />

Ultrasound System model 100.<br />

Multiple Sleep Latency Testing (MSLT)<br />

and Maintenance <strong>of</strong> Wakefulness<br />

Testing (MWT), 102. Implementation<br />

<strong>of</strong> a new medical policy (previously<br />

announced in March <strong>2009</strong> <strong>Provider</strong><br />

<strong>Focus</strong>) has been postponed. Please<br />

continue to use medical policy 293,<br />

Sleep Disorders, for coverage and noncoverage<br />

<strong>of</strong> multiple sleep latency<br />

testing. Also, please see medical policy<br />

400, Medical Technology Assessment<br />

Guidelines Non-Covered Service, which<br />

clarifies non-coverage for maintenance<br />

<strong>of</strong> wakefulness testing.<br />

Effective 6/1/09.<br />

Osteochondral Allograft and Autograft<br />

Transplantation, 374. Removing coverage<br />

information on osteochondral<br />

allograft and autograft transplantation<br />

with notation to see new medical<br />

policy (Osteochondral Allograft and<br />

Autograft Transplantation, 111).<br />

Effective 8/09.<br />

Polysomnography, 094.<br />

Implementation <strong>of</strong> a new medical<br />

policy has been postponed. Please<br />

continue to use Sleep Disorders (medical<br />

policy 293) for coverage and<br />

non-coverage guidelines for<br />

polysomnography and sleep studies.<br />

Tumor Markers, 167. Clarifying covered<br />

indications for BTA stat ®´´ or<br />

NMP-22 to include new 2008 ICD-<br />

9-CM diagnosis codes 599.70 (hematuria,<br />

unspecified) and 599.72<br />

(microscopic hematuria). Reminder:<br />

Coverage is based on the criteria<br />

defined in the medical policy.<br />

Correction<br />

The Medical Policy Update<br />

page in the February <strong>2009</strong> issue<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>Provider</strong> <strong>Focus</strong> incorrectly<br />

listed the medical policy<br />

number for Iontophoresis as 094.<br />

The correct number is 095. To<br />

view this medical policy, go to<br />

www.bluecrossma.com/<br />

provider and click on Medical<br />

Policies.<br />

Check Out Our Improved Medical Policy Page on <strong>Blue</strong>Links for <strong>Provider</strong>s<br />

We’re always looking for ways to<br />

improve our website to make it<br />

work better for you. One request<br />

we’ve heard from providers is an<br />

easier way to search for medical<br />

policy information.<br />

To help you find the information<br />

you need quickly, we’ve added a<br />

search tool to the Medical Policy<br />

page on our website. Go to<br />

www.bluecrossma.com/<br />

provider and click on Medical<br />

7<br />

<strong>Provider</strong>focus • <strong>May</strong> <strong>2009</strong><br />

Policies. Then, simply type a subject,<br />

condition, treatment, or document<br />

number into the Quick<br />

Search box on the right side <strong>of</strong> the<br />

page to obtain a listing <strong>of</strong> related<br />

medical policies.


<strong>Provider</strong>focus<br />

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PRESORTED<br />

STANDARD MAIL<br />

U.S. POSTAGE<br />

PAID<br />

BOSTON, MA<br />

PERMIT NO. 56717<br />

ROUTING BOX<br />

Date received:____________<br />

Please route to:<br />

Office manager<br />

Physician<br />

Nurse<br />

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Billing agency<br />

Receptionist<br />

Other: __________________<br />

___________________________<br />

Want to receive payment faster<br />

Sign up for direct deposit through PaySpan Health. Call 1-800-771-4097.<br />

Important Update<br />

Addresses for <strong>Provider</strong> Appeals Have Been Consolidated<br />

To help reduce administrative<br />

expenses, BCBSMA will be consolidating<br />

our <strong>Provider</strong> Appeals<br />

addresses into one address for all<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>essional and ancillary providers<br />

(including oral surgeons and behavioral<br />

health providers), and for all<br />

facilities.<br />

Effective July 1, <strong>2009</strong>, all appeals<br />

should be sent to:<br />

<strong>Provider</strong> Appeals<br />

BCBSMA<br />

P.O. Box 986065<br />

Boston, MA 02298<br />

P.O. boxes 986070 and 986075<br />

will expire June 30, <strong>2009</strong>. To<br />

prevent any delays in processing<br />

your claims, please begin using the<br />

new addresses immediately. If you<br />

use s<strong>of</strong>tware to print claim forms or<br />

any other communications that<br />

contain a BCBSMA address, please<br />

make the necessary changes to<br />

your system.<br />

We will update our <strong>Blue</strong> Book manual,<br />

forms, and other provider documents<br />

to reflect this change.<br />

If you have any questions, please<br />

contact your <strong>Provider</strong> Relations<br />

Manager at 1-800-316-BLUE<br />

(2583).<br />

<strong>Provider</strong>focus is published monthly for<br />

BCBSMA physicians, health care providers, and<br />

their <strong>of</strong>fice staff. Please submit letters and suggestions<br />

for future articles to:<br />

Editor, <strong>Provider</strong> <strong>Focus</strong><br />

<strong>Provider</strong> Education and Communications<br />

<strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Cross</strong> <strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Shield</strong> <strong>of</strong> MA<br />

Landmark Center, MS 01/08<br />

401 Park Drive<br />

Boston, MA 02215-3326<br />

—or—<br />

E-mail: focus@bcbsma.com<br />

● Cleve L. Killingsworth, Chairman and<br />

Chief Executive Officer<br />

● Andrew Dreyfus, Executive Vice President,<br />

Health Care Services<br />

● John A. Fallon, M.D., Chief Physician<br />

Executive and Senior Vice President<br />

● Steven J. Fox, Vice President, <strong>Provider</strong><br />

Network Management<br />

● Teresa Perrier, Editor<br />

●Patricia Gaudino, Managing Editor<br />

● Stephanie Botvin, Contributing Writer<br />

● Jennifer Harding, Contributing Writer<br />

● Barbara Chester, Production Manager<br />

● Patricia Moriarty, Graphic Designer<br />

BCBSMA refers to <strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Cross</strong> <strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Shield</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Massachusetts</strong> and <strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Cross</strong> <strong>Blue</strong><br />

<strong>Shield</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Massachusetts</strong> HMO <strong>Blue</strong> ® , Inc., based on Product participation. © <strong>2009</strong><br />

<strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Cross</strong> and <strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Shield</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Massachusetts</strong>, Inc. and <strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Cross</strong> and <strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Shield</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>Massachusetts</strong> HMO <strong>Blue</strong> ® , Inc. ® Registered marks <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Cross</strong> and <strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Shield</strong><br />

Association. ®´ and SM Registered marks <strong>of</strong> <strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Cross</strong> <strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Shield</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Massachusetts</strong>.<br />

®´´ and TM Registered marks <strong>of</strong> their respective companies. PEP-1914V(5/09)

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