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Provider news

August

UPDATE TO PREVIOUS COMMUNICATION FOR COMMERCIAL PLANS: Claim Redetermination Process Change

The claim redeterminations process on the Provider Portal for Commercial* plans is changing. The new process is now the Provider Claim Review Request and will be available to providers via the Provider Service Center.

Effective Aug. 14, 2023, you may contact the Provider Service Center at 833.542.8179 for a Provider Claim Review Request which includes detailed claim analysis, real-time adjustments on most claims and quick follow-up rather than submitting through the provider portal.

Please continue to use the IVR and the provider portal for benefits, eligibility and basic claims status.

There are no changes to the Medicare and Medicaid claim appeals and redeterminations process. For Medicare and Medicaid claim appeals and redeterminations, please maintain the current process of submitting through the provider portal or by mail.

Please note: BSWH Employee plan is not included.


Processing Claims and NUCC Guidelines

Baylor Scott & White Health Plan and FirstCare Health Plans adhere to the NUCC guidelines when processing claims. For detailed instructions on the proper submission of paper claims, please reference pages 53-55 of the National Uniform Claim Committee CMS-1500 Claim Form Reference Manual available at nucc.org.

July

UPDATE TO PREVIOUS COMMUNICATION FOR COMMERCIAL PLANS: Claim Redetermination Process Change

The claim redeterminations process on the Provider Portal for Commercial and BSWH Employee plans is changing. The new process is now the Provider Claim Review Request and will be available to providers via the Provider Service Center.

Benefits of the Provider Claim Review Request include detailed claim analysis, real-time adjustments on most claims and quick follow-up.

Effective Aug. 14, 2023, you may contact the Provider Service Center for Commercial and BSWH Employee claims for assistance, rather than submitting through the provider portal. New phone numbers will be provided to you prior to Aug. 14.

Please continue to use the IVR and the provider portal for benefits, eligibility and basic claims status.

There are no changes to the Medicare and Medicaid claim appeals and redeterminations process. For Medicare and Medicaid claim appeals and redeterminations, please maintain the current process of submitting through the provider portal or by mail.


June

FOR COMMERCIAL PLANS: Claim Appeal/Redetermination Process Change

Effective July 17, 2023, the process for submitting claim appeals/redeterminations for Commercial and BSWH Employee plans has changed. If you have a redetermination request or claim appeal, contact the Provider Service Center at 1.844.633.5325 for Commercial claims or 800.655.7947 for BSWH Employee Plan claims for assistance, rather than submitting through the provider portal. Please continue to use the IVR and the provider portal for benefits, eligibility and basic claims status.

There are no changes to the Medicare and Medicaid claim appeals and redeterminations process. For Medicare and Medicaid claim appeals and redeterminations, please maintain the current process of submitting through the provider portal or by mail.


April

BSWHP No Longer Covering Makena

In light of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recent decision to withdraw approval of Makena (hydroxyprogesterone caproate), Baylor Scott & White Health Plan no longer covers Makena and its generics, effective April 7, 2023.

On April 6, 2023, the FDA announced its decision to withdraw approval of Makena, as the drug and its generics are not shown to be effective for reducing the risk of pre-term birth in women with singleton pregnancy who have a history of singleton spontaneous preterm birth. Additionally, Makena and its generics have not been shown to be effective for any subgroup of this population, including in women at high risk of preterm birth. The benefits of Makena do not outweigh the risks.

Learn more about Makena and the FDA's decision.

The Inside Story Provider Newsletter

Provider Manual and Training

General provider resources

Orientation training

New to Baylor Scott & White Health Plan (BSWHP)? Review our orientation videos to learn about our operations, policies and procedures and helpful contact information. We also encourage established providers to review our orientations for refreshers and updates. We also provide a guide for our interactive voice response system.

Provider manual

Welcome to your guide for important provider information.

Or quickly find what you're looking for from the topics below.

 

Fraud, Waste & Abuse training for Providers and Pharmacists

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requires all health plans offering Medicare Advantage - Prescription Drug plans ensure participating providers and pharmacists complete Fraud, Waste & Abuse (FWA) training on an annual basis.

If you are currently enrolled in the Medicare program or accredited as a Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetic, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS), we'll consider you as having met the training and educational requirements. To complete your training and for additional information, please visit The Medicare Learning Network®.

Pharmacist Fraud, Waste & Abuse training

All members of the pharmacy staff must complete the FWA Training. Only one attestation is required per pharmacy and it should be completed by the Head Pharmacist or Store Manager.

If you have already completed your training requirements through another mechanism, complete and submit the FWA Training Attestation.

If you have any questions or need assistance with this process, please contact our Compliance department at HPCompliance@BSWHealth.org or Customer Advocacy Department at 800.321.7947.

*See 42 CFR 422.503, 422.504, 423.504, 423.505 et seq.; see also Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Prescription Drug Benefit Manual, Chapter 9 - Part D Program to Control Fraud, Waste and Abuse.

 

Medical management

Medical benefit

Pharmacy benefit

 

Quality improvement

National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Accreditation

NCQA Accreditation is a comprehensive evaluation of health plans' clinical measures and consumer experience measures. Standards are developed with the help of health plans, providers, insurance customers, unions, regulatory agencies and consumer groups. NCQA's Health Plan Accreditation is considered the industry's gold standard. NCQA Accreditation measures five areas of performance: Staying Healthy, Getting Better, Living with Illness, Access and Service and Qualified Providers. To see how BSWHP Providers measured up, visit the link below.

Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®)

HEDIS® is a registered trademark of NCQA. BSWHP uses HEDIS® to measure clinical quality performance and evaluate areas of care: preventive services, treatment of acute illness, management of chronic illnesses and patient experience with services provided (as measured through the CAHPS, a standardized survey used by all plans).

Purpose and scope of the QI program

The purpose of the quality improvement program is to ensure BSWHP is providing the highest quality care that is easy to access and affordable to our members regardless of plan type, age, race/ethnicity or health status. BSWHP supports and tries to reach "Triple Aim" goals: improving member's affordability, quality and experience of care. BSWHP Quality programs and improvement projects are designed to improve member outcomes through systematic ongoing measurement, provider/member/health plan care coordination and continuous evaluation of results.

The scope of the QI Program is to monitor, evaluate and improve:

  • The quality and safety of clinical care
  • The quality of service provided by BSWHP
  • The quality of practitioners and providers
  • Affordable and accessible healthcare and wellness
  • The overall member experience

BSWHP strives for personal differentiation. No matter the product, the member is our focus. BSWHP has many examples of helping our members navigate the maze of healthcare, as well as thoughtful interventions that have improved the health outcomes of our members. BSWHP's close connection to both our members and our provider community places us in a unique position to act as an effective member advocate. As a regional health plan, we have exceptional opportunities to finance healthcare in a way that is intrinsically superior by aligning incentives, identifying gaps in healthcare delivery and facilitating smooth and seamless coordination of care throughout the healthcare continuum.

QI program goals - objectives

  1. Improve Member Health Outcomes - through staying healthy and management of chronic conditions such as the following: Diabetes, Asthma, Coronary Artery Disease, Hypertension, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Behavioral/Mental Health, Children's' and Women's' Health.
  2. Improve Medical Safety - by fostering a supportive environment that helps providers to improve the safety of their practice, monitoring BSWHP Pharmacy medication safety, monitoring medication errors and providing members with information that improves their knowledge about clinical safety in their own care.
  3. Increase Member Satisfaction - by prompt identification and resolution of dissatisfaction with administrative or medical processes. Evaluate processes for improvement. BSWHP conducts the CAHPS survey to measure Member Satisfaction annually. This survey is use to identify opportunities for improvement.
  4. Meet the Cultural and Linguistic Needs of the Member - by identifying language and other cultural/social needs of BSWHP members. We meet those needs by providing bilingual services, translated materials, cultural diversity education, training for BSWHP staff and a network of diverse and multilingual providers. BSWHP regularly monitors member demographic data and member feedback to adjust the provider network and services to reflect the member's needs.
  5. Provide Affordable Care - through reducing the variations in clinical care, preventing overuse, underuse or misuse of services, redirection of care to the most appropriate place and through continued improvement of all BSWHP processes to optimize care and reduce unnecessary care.
  6. Organizational Effectiveness - strive to achieve statistically significant improvements in all quality measurements to meet or exceed regional or national averages set forth by National Committee Quality Assurance, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) and Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) or other accepted quality Standards.

Additional documents

 

Telemedicine

Questions? Our Customer Service and Provider Relations teams are here to help.

 

Provider rights and responsibilities

Baylor Scott & White Health Plan (BSWHP) contracted providers are responsible for providing and managing healthcare services for BSWHP members until services are no longer medically necessary.

Provider rights

Providers have the right to:
  • Be treated courteously and respectfully by BSWHP staff at all times.
  • Request information about BSWHP's utilization management, case management and disease guidance programs, services and staff qualifications and contractual relationships.
  • Upon request, be provided with copies of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and clinical decision support tools used by BSWHP.
  • Be supported by BSWHP to make decisions interactively with members regarding their healthcare.
  • Consult with BSWHP Medical Directors at any point in a member's participation in utilization management, case management or disease guidance programs.
  • Provide input into the development of BSWHP's Case Management and Disease Guidance Programs.
  • File a complaint on own behalf of a BSWHP member, without fear of retaliation and to have those complaints resolved.
  • Receive a written decision regarding an application to participate with BSWHP within 90 days of providing the complete application.
  • Communicate openly with patients about all diagnostic testing and treatment options.
  • The right to appeal claims payment issues.
  • The right to 90 days prior written notice of termination of the contract.
  • The right to request a written reason for the termination, if one is not provided with the notice of termination.

Provider responsibilities

Primary Care Physicians (PCPs):
  • Provide primary healthcare services not requiring specialized care. (i.e., routine preventive health screening and physical examinations, routine immunizations, routine office visits for illnesses or injuries and medical management of chronic conditions not requiring a specialist)
  • Obtain all required pre-authorizations as outlined in the Provider Manual.
  • Refer BSWHP members to BSWHP contracted (in-network) specialists, facilities and ancillary providers when necessary.
  • Assure BSWHP members understand the scope of specialty and/or ancillary services that have been authorized and how or where the member should access the care.
  • Communicate a BSWHP member's medical condition, treatment plans and approved authorizations for services to appropriate specialists and other providers.
  • Keep panel open to BSWHP members until it contains at least 100 BSWHP members on average per individual PCP.
  • Will give BSWHP at least 7 days advance written notice of intent to close panel and may not close panel to BSWHP unless closing panel to all payors.
Specialists:
  • Deliver all authorized medical healthcare services related to the BSWHP member's medical condition as it pertains to specialty.
  • Deliver all medical healthcare services available to BSWHP members though self-referral benefits.
  • Determine when the BSWHP member may require the services of other specialists or ancillary providers for further diagnosis or specialized treatment, as well as, if the member requires admission to a hospital, rehabilitation facility, skilled nursing facility or etc.
  • Provide verbal or written consult reports to the BSWHP member's PCP for review and inclusion in the member's primary care medical record.
All Providers:
  • Follow BSWHP's administrative policies and procedures and clinical guidelines when providing or managing healthcare services within the scope of a BSWHP member's benefit plan.
  • Uphold all applicable responsibilities outlined in the BSWHP Member Rights & Responsibilities Statement.
  • Maintain open communications with BSWHP members to discuss treatment needs and recommended alternatives, regardless of benefit limitations or BSWHP administrative policies and procedures.
  • Provide timely transfer of BSWHP member medical records if a member selects a new primary care practitioner or if the practitioner's participation with BSWHP terminates.
  • Participate in BSWHP Quality Improvement Programs, which are designed to identify opportunities for improving healthcare provided to BSWHP members and the related outcomes.
  • Comply with all utilization management decisions rendered by BSWHP.
  • Respond to BSWHP Provider Satisfaction Surveys.
  • Provide BSWHP with any BSWHP member's written complaints or grievances against provider or practice immediately (within 24 hours). The process for resolving complaints should be posted in the provider's office or facility and should include the Texas Department of Insurance's toll-free number.
Providers should notify BSWHP when there are changes to their practice, such as:
  • Change of ownership and tax identification number (TIN).
  • Change of address (service/mailing/billing), phone number or fax number.
  • New provider added to group or practice.
  • Provider terminations from group or practice.
  • Adverse actions impacting practitioner's ability to provide services.
  • Termination from or opt out of participation in Medicare or Medicaid.

All changes reported should include an effective date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact us if you can't find your question answered below.

FAQ for providers

First, create an account. Fill in all required fields. After your request has been processed and authorized, you'll be emailed a username and password.

If you are requesting claims access, please submit separate requests for each provider in your office that bills separately. If you're only requesting member eligibility access, only one request is needed.

Also, you may refer to the Provider Portal Training Guide.

  • Go to Provider Access
  • Select To register as a Provider click here
  • Fill out all required fields under Provider Information
  • Select Next
  • Fill out all required fields under User Information
  • In the User Preferences box, select what you need access for
    • Do you have authorization to view eligibility searches? Select "YES" or "NO"
    • Do you have authorization to view claims? Select "YES" or "NO"
  • Press Submit
    • If your information is in our system, you'll be prompted to log in to the site
    • If your Provider ID and Tax ID isn't in our system, you'll receive a message with a Request ID #. You'll be notified by email when your request for access is approved. Please keep your Request ID # for future reference
  • Go to Provider Access
  • Enter your Username
  • Enter your Password
  • Press Enter
  • Select Member Eligibility from the Members tab and the Members Eligibility Inquiry page will display
  • Enter the Member's Date of Birth and Last Name in the Search Section
  • Press Search to retrieve the results
  • Press Cancel to return to the Provider homepage
  1. Select Claims Status Search from the Claims tab and the Claims Status Inquiry page will display
  2. Enter the required information in the Patient/Subscriber Information section
  3. Press Search to display the Explanation of Payment (EOP) List page
  4. Press the Claim Number link to see its Claims Status Response page. If you cannot find a specific claim, it may be because:
    1. We haven't received the claim
    2. There may be an issue with the claims clearinghouse
    3. The claim is billed with a provider number/NPI number that you don't have clearance to view
    4. The claims clearinghouse did not send the claim to us
  5. Press Cancel to return to the Provider homepage

If you can't find the Summary of Benefits (SOB) PDF through the site, please call our Provider Relations Department at 800.321.7947 and provide the group name and group number.

Enter the member's appointment date or any previous date to verify the actual date the member eligible with us. The member number is specific to the group or individual plan the member is enrolled in.

You can also try to perform a name search using the member's first and last name under the Member No. box to see if the member was enrolled in another group or individual plan.

Log in to the provider section of MyBenefits for a listing of preauthorization requirements by line of business. Services, procedures, drugs and durable medical equipment that require preauthorization must be medically necessary and meet BSWHP coverage criteria.

A prior authorization is needed if you plan to refer a member out of the BSWHP network.

FAQ on pharmacy services

Our procedures describe the method for managing the drug formularies to provide the most cost-effective therapy options.

Prior Authorization: We may require prior authorization for certain drugs. This means approval may be needed before prescriptions can be filled.

Quantity Limits: For safety and cost reasons, certain drugs have limits on the amount of the drug that BSWHP will cover at one time. This is often based on the manufacturer's recommended dosages and may be in addition to a standard one-month or three-month supply.

Step Therapy: In some cases, we require the member to try certain drugs first to treat the medical condition before another drug will be covered for that condition. For example, if Drug A and Drug B both treat the medical condition, BSWHP may not cover Drug B unless Drug A is tried first. If Drug A does not work, we'll then cover Drug B.

The formularies include drugs that are covered under the prescription benefit. The formularies are tiered, meaning there are different copayments for different drugs dependent upon cost and place in therapy.

Drugs not on the formulary may be covered if:

  • The drug is medically necessary
  • The plan rules are followed
  • The drug is not considered an excluded drug

Excluded drugs are not covered by BSWHP. For example, a drug used for cosmetic purposes may be considered an excluded drug. Please review an Evidence of Coverage (EOC) document and other plan materials to determine which drugs are excluded from coverage.

Review our drug listings to find out if a drug has additional requirements or limits.

Formularies are a list of covered drugs required for a quality treatment program. Formularies are developed by a Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee (P&T). The P&T Committee reviews drugs for inclusion based on safety and effectiveness. Once safety, effectiveness and place in therapy are evaluated, then overall cost of the drug therapy is considered.

Formularies are developed by a P&T Committee that evaluates the safety and efficacy of drugs within each therapeutic category.

An effective cost-containment approach is selecting the preferred therapeutic agent(s) within each drug class. The preferred agent(s) in a category are chosen based on efficacy, safety and the therapeutic benefit/cost ratio. Prescribing preferred agents help ensure cost effective therapy for the member and the Health Plan.

Formularies are developed by a P&T Committee that evaluates the safety and efficacy of drugs within each therapeutic category.

An effective cost-containment approach is selecting the preferred therapeutic agent(s) within each drug class. The preferred agent(s) in a category are chosen based on efficacy, safety and the therapeutic benefit/cost ratio. Prescribing preferred agents help ensure cost effective therapy for the member and the Health Plan.

The formularies guide prescription drug coverage for patients with BSWHP prescription drug benefits. Please refer to the formularies when prescribing for your BSWHP patients. The formularies are not a substitute for the professional and clinical judgment of the prescriber.

For those members with a BSWHP Prescription Drug Benefit Rider, the Health Plan will provide coverage for drugs included on the formularies in accordance with plan rules and other utilization management restrictions.

Drugs not on the formulary may be covered if:

  • The drug is medically necessary
  • The plan rules are followed
  • The drug is not considered an excluded drug
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