COVID-19 Updates

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) remains committed to working with you, our valued healthcare partners, during these unprecedented times to ensure our members get the right care, at the right place, at the right time. Furthermore, we are extremely grateful to all the healthcare providers who are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 outbreak and working so hard to protect the health and well-being of our community. Thank you for all you are doing.

Please continue to visit Providers.BlueKC.com using your login user ID and password for the most up-to-date information about policies, coding, billing and other operational details related to COVID-19. Thank you again for your partnership in providing quality care to our members.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: COVID-19 Vaccine

Blue KC has received calls from providers asking if we could supply Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) numbers for Medicare members.

We want to remind you that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) does not allow us to share this information.

To assist you with this process, we are educating members on the importance of bringing their red/white/blue Medicare card with them to get their vaccine, so you will be able to get the MBI number off the card and bill the local Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) directly.

If the members do not have their Medicare ID card, you can let them know these card replacement options:

• If you need to replace your card because it is damaged or lost, log into (or create) your secure Medicare account to print an official copy of your Medicare card. You can also use your Medicare account to access your Medicare information anytime, add prescription drugs to help you find and compare health and drug plans in your area and more.
• If you need to replace your card because you think that someone else is using your number, call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227. TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.

COVID-19 Community Response

Here are some ways we are supporting your tireless work in our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Blue KC’s Live Blue Kitchen + Café teamed up with House of Hope KC to cook and deliver meals to first responders, healthcare workers and nonprofit organizations across the Kansas City metro area.

In partnership with the Kansas City Royals, Blue KC made a $25,000 donation to launch the Royals Respond Fund, an effort that offers resources to the community and helpful information.

Blue KC donated $200,000 to the Kansas City Regional COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, which has raised more than $17 million in relief dollars to date to address community needs due to the pandemic.

Additionally, Blue KC is proud to team up with Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame member Bobby Bell, as you can see by clicking here, to promote COVID-19 vaccine awareness in our community.

Blue KC Medical Policy Updates

The most up-to-date Medical Policy can be found at Providers.BlueKC.com/MedicalPolicy/BlueKCMedicalPolicy. While there, you can also find a link to view MCG guidelines, which complement our Blue KC policies.

The Blue KC Medical Policy encompasses internal Blue KC Medical Policy, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association derived Medical Policy and policies adopted from our vendor partners, such as Avalon (APEA), MCG and EviCore.

New Blue KC Policies
Effective date for the following policies – 03/01/2021

• AHS – M2176 Testing for Autism Spectrum Disorder and Development Delay

New MCG Guidelines
Effective date for the following policies – 03/01/2021

• BKC-A-0930 Alternating Electric Field Therapy
• BKC-A-0377 Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT)
• BKC-A-0617 Iontophoresis
• A-0616 Phonophoresis

HCSC PA Change Notice

Blue KC wants to make you aware that the Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) has made a change regarding prior authorization.

This change impacts all providers servicing members with the following Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans:

• Commercial members with Blue Cross Blue Shield Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma, Montana and New Mexico
• Medicaid members with Blue Cross Blue Shield Community Centennial

As of Jan. 1, 2021, prior authorization for some members transitioned from EviCore to AIM Specialty Health. It is important to remember that benefits will vary based on the service being rendered and individual and group policy elections.

Visit this AIM website for more information, including links to training on the AIM Provider Portal. If you experience trouble clicking the link, please copy and paste this information into your URL: Visit this AIM website or https://aimproviders.com/160/training/

If plans have specific questions, please contact:

Patricia Yancy, MSIS, PMP
Sr. Manager Project Delivery
Clinical Implementation Management
Health Care Service Corporation
Office: 312-653-5767 | Mobile: 773-350-8749

New Itemized Bills e-Form

It is now easier than ever to submit an itemized bill. A new option allows providers to submit itemized bills securely through an e-form on the Blue KC Provider Portal.

The link is located on the provider log-in page by clicking on the “Forms” button and then the link for “Itemized Bill Submission Form.”

The shortcut to the location is Providers.BlueKC.com/eForms/Form/ItemizedBill.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Provider Relations Role Change

As a reminder, Blue KC has developed a new model to enhance our relationships with the providers in our community. Effective January 1, 2021, we sunset the Provider Relations roles. The new model is intended to streamline our provider inquiries and drive resolution of provider issues in a timelier manner.

Here are the three best ways to contact us with questions:

• Access the Provider Portal for initial claim inquiries, benefits and eligibility validation. The Provider Portal at Providers.BlueKC.com has many useful aids available to guide you on key topics related to Blue KC.
• You can also use the Provider Hotline at (816) 395-3929 to assist with your practice concerns, such as claims and/or benefits and eligibility.
• If the Provider Hotline is unable to resolve your issue, please email your concern along with your Blue Cross call reference ID Number (you will be provided a number during your call into the Provider Hotline) to provider_inquiries@BlueKC.com.

New Dental Email Box

Blue KC wants dental providers to know we are here to offer support via an email box to help enhance your provider experience.

Use Dental@BlueKC.com for the following requests:

• Network Support
  • New Providers
  • Blue KC GRID Network
• Provider Demographic Updates
• Fee Schedule Inquiries

For claims, benefits and eligibility, please visit our Provider Portal at Providers.BlueKC.com or contact the Provider Hotline at (816) 395-3929.