Electronic Refund Management (ERM) is here!.... 2

BCBSIL onFacebook.......... 3

Pre-certification & Predetermination Guidelines ......4,5

BlueCard® Tip:Pre-certification Requirements ...... 5

Annual Physician/Practitioner Surveys.............. 6

Update on ‘Michelle’s Law’ ... 7

Fairness in Contracting ........ 7

What’sInside?

Visit our Web site at www.bcbsil.com/providerVisit our Web site at www.bcbsil.com/pro idididddvidvidererer

Care Comparison Tool SupportsTransparency Initiative

July 2009

BCBSIL Brings Versatile Availity® Platform to Illinois ProvidersBlue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) providers now can securely access patient

eligibility and benefits information, request authorizations, and submit and monitor claim

submissions and status via the Availity® Health Information Network. Availity’s secure Web

portal streamlines providers’ most common, time consuming administrative tasks, and

allows them to instantly access information about BCBSIL members. BCBSIL will give

Illinois providers access to Availity at no cost.

In addition, Availity can be expanded in the future to give providers and health plans the

ability to share medical records, health information and other important data, which can

improve quality and efficiency, and ultimately help reduce costs.

“Availity expands BCBSIL’s online functionality and strengthens our online and offline

connections to Illinois providers, which is an important step in BCBSIL’s efforts to provide

solutions that meet physicians’ and hospitals’ administrative needs,” says Steve Hamman,

BCBSIL’s vice president of Network Management.

Julie Klapstein, Availity’s CEO says, “We are pleased to play a role in helping Illinois physicians

and providers streamline their workflow, reduce their costs and improve their relationships

with their patients. Real-time information exchange saves providers and

health plans time and money.”

To learn more about the Availity portal or to enroll, please visit

www.availity.com or call (800) AVAILITY (282-4548).

About Availity, L.L.C. – Patients. Not Paperwork.®

Availity optimizes information exchange between multiple health

care stakeholders through a single, secure network. The Availity

Health Information Network encompasses administrative,

financial, and clinical services, supporting both real-time and batch

exchange via the Web, business to business (B2B) integration, and

electronic data interchange (EDI). For more information,

including an online demonstration, please visit

www.availity.com.

Availity is a registered trademark of Availity, L.L.C.

Availity is a third party vendor, and BCBSIL makesno endorsement, representations or warrantiesregarding any products or services offered by thisvendor. Availity is solely respsonsible for theproducts and services it offers. If you have anyquestions regarding the products or servicesoffered by Availity, you should contact

them directly.

BCBSIL believes that a well-informed

consumer will make better health

care decisions.

As early as September 2009, we plan to

implement a new online Care Comparison

tool that will help our members to review

and compare health care and service costs

for a number of procedures performed at

hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and

free-standing radiology centers in the

BCBSIL provider network. This tool is a

component of a Transparency Program

that will initially focus on reporting the

costs related to specific procedures

rendered to BCBSIL members, as well

as the total volume of each procedure

performed for all payers.

Communications introducing the Care

Comparison tool have been mailed to

hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers

and free-standing radiology centers in

the BCBSIL provider network. Please

continue to watch the “What’s New”

section of our Provider Web site

at www.bcbsil.com/provider for

additional announcements and

information regarding this and

other BCBSIL initiatives.

Electronic Refund Management (ERM) is here!

You’re invited to an ERM WebinarJoin us this month for a special ERM Webinar where the ERM Training Team

will be happy to show you a demonstration of the new system and its benefits.

If you are interested in attending, send an e-mail to eRM@bcbsil.com with your

preferred session date, as well as your office name and listing of participants.

All dates have a morning (10 to 11 a.m.) and afternoon (2 to 3 p.m.) session.

• July 6, 2009 • July 16, 2009

• July 8, 2009 • July 20, 2009

• July 14, 2009 • July 22, 2009

Visit our Web site at www.bcbsil.com/provider 2

We're pleased to introduce ERM – a new online refund management tool

that will help simplify overpayment reconciliation and related processes.

Here are some of the practice enhancing features ERM has to offer:

• Single sign-on – If you are currently a registered Availity or RealMed®

user,* just complete an online on-boarding form (see instructions below)

to obtain access to ERM through one of these online portals. The ERM

application is available at no additional charge.

• Electronic notifications of overpayments – You have the option to replace

paper requests for claim refunds (RFCRs) you receive today with a daily or

weekly e-mail summarizing overpayment requests for each NPI. This will

help reduce the cost of maintaining overpayment records.

• View overpayment requests – You have the ability to view and search/

filter all New, Outstanding, and Closed refund requests that contain an

NPI related to your provider/facility. You can view more details for

each request, including claim, patient account number, service dates,

overpayment reason, etc. ERM gives you a real-time transactional history

for each refund request, showing a complete audit trail for tracking when

an action was taken on a particular item and who performed it (including

closed requests).

• Inquire/Dispute/Appeal the requests – If you have any disagreements

or if would like more information for each request, you can submit your

request online.

• Deduct from future payment – You can settle your overpayment request

by letting BCBSIL deduct the dollars from a future claim payment. You

will still see the information on your PCS or EPS, and you can also see

the details in the ERM transaction history to assist with all

recoupment reconciliations.

• Pay by check – You may select one or multiple requests and refund

BCBSIL by sending us a check. You will be asked to include a system

generated remittance form showing the detail of your refund (generated

within ERM). When BCBSIL receives your refund check you will see

the check number that you sent to settle your overpayment.

• Submitting unsolicited refunds – If you identify a credit balance, you can

submit it online and refund your payment by check, or we can deduct

the refund from a future claim payment. No other contact (e.g., phone

inquiry) is necessary for the credit balance/overpayment situations.

• Alerts – You will receive notification via ERM system alerts in certain

situations, such as if BCBSIL responds to your inquiry or if a claim

check has been stopped.

How do I gain access to the online on-boarding formfor ERM?Availity Users – Click on the HCSC Refund Management link under the

“Claims Management” tab. If you are unable to access this link, please contact

your Primary Access Administrator (PAA). If you do not know who your

Primary Access Administrator is, click on Who controls my access? You may also

contact Availity Client Services at (800) AVAILITY (282-4548) for assistance,

or visit the Availity Web site at www.availity.com for more information.

RealMed Users – Click on the HCSC Refund Management link under the

“Administration” tab. If you are unable to access this link, consult with your

RealMed Customer Account Manager, contact the RealMed Customer Service

Center at (877) REALMED (732-5633), or visit the RealMed Web site at

www.realmed.com for more information.

For further information and updates on ERM and other BCBSIL initiatives,

please continue to visit the "What's New" section of our Provider Web site at

www.bcbsil.com.

*NOTE: If you are not currently registered for Avality or RealMed, you cansign up at any time. Additional information and links to the Availity andRealMed Web sites are available in the Electronic Commerce section of our Provider Web site at www.bcbsil.com.

RealMed® is a registered trademark of RealMed Corporation.

Workshop Schedule

3 July 2009

Upcoming workshops include:

Register today! Visit our Web site at www.bcbsil.com/provider/training.htm

to view the agenda and sign up.

We welcome your participation and value your input. E-mail us at provider_relations@bcbsil.com.

Workshop Date LocationeSolutions July 22, 2009 Advocate Trinity Hospital, Chicago, IL

Summer HMO Forum Aug. 12, 2009 Live Webinar

BCBSIL Uses FACEBOOK for Breaking NewsIn an effort to provide instant

access to information and enhance

the customer service experience

when it counts the most, BCBSIL

has employed another online

media tool – Facebook. This

online interactive social tool will

allow individuals to ask questions,

engage in discussions with other

consumers and get details about

events we sponsor or host. Since

Facebook is updated in real time,

changes, new information and

new topics are added immediately

and often in most cases, improving

our ability to respond during

urgent situations.

Our current Facebook page

contains information about

H1N1 (swine) flu, the COBRA

subsidy and other topics of

interest to consumers.

We invite you and your patients to “become a fan” of our Facebook page. If you are not

already a user, you will need to register. It’s free to subscribe. To access the BCBSIL Facebook

page, go to: www.facebook.com/pages/BlueCross-BlueShield-of-Illinois/71617617946.

Facebook is an independent third party vendor, and BCBSIL has no ownership control over Facebook. BCBSIL makes no representations and warranties regarding Facebook, or any content posted on Facebook. Facebook and/or its users,

are solely responsible for the contents posted on Facebook.

Multi-surgery PricingMethodology to Change Oct. 1, 2009Effective Oct. 1, 2009, BCBSIL will be changing our

methodology for Multi-surgery Pricing (MSP). In

order to be consistent with the health care industry

standard, we will be reimbursing for Operative

Session rather than Operative Area. In many

instances, BCBSIL will allow 100 percent of the fee

schedule for the primary procedure and 50 percent

for both related and unrelated subsequent surgeries

performed on the same day. There is no limit to

the number of susequent surgeries that have to

be performed.

Please contact our Provider Telecommunications

Center (PTC) at (800) 972-8088 if you have

any questions.

New Account Groups

Group Name: Gateway FoundationGroup Number: 097364Alpha Prefix: XOFProduct Type: PPO(Portable)Effective Date: July 1, 2009BC BS

Group Name: Telephone and Data SystemsGroup Number: 109601Alpha Prefix: TDAProduct Type: PPO(Portable)Effective Date: July 1, 2009BC BS

Group Name: The Walsh GroupGroup Number: 992189Alpha Prefix: WCCProduct Type: PPO(Portable)Effective Date: May 1, 2009BC BS

NOTE: The information noted above is current as of the date ofpublication; however, BCBSIL reserves the right to amend thisinformation at any time without notice. The fact that a group isincluded on this list is not a guarantee of payment or that anyindividuals employed by any of the listed groups, or theirdependents, will be eligible for benefits. Benefit coverage issubject to the terms and conditions set forth in the member’scertificate of coverage.

Pre-service Process Reminders

Visit our Web site at www.bcbsil.com/provider 4

Pre-certification and Predetermination Guidelines

In addition to checking eligibility and benefits and consulting approved BCBSIL Medical Policies,

there may be other steps you need to take when considering treatment for BCBSIL members.

Below is a summary of additional procedures that are required or recommended by BCBSIL.

Pre-certification (also known as prenotification or preauthorization) is confirmation that

a physician’s plan of treatment – or other service or treatment – meets the criteria of medical

necessity under the applicable health benefit plan.

When is it required?Most PPO and POS contracts require the member or provider to contact BCBSIL to receive prior

approval for inpatient hospital admissions, including acute, inpatient rehab, skilled nursing,

long-term acute care, inpatient hospice (some groups), and coordinated health care such as

skilled nursing visits, IV medication, etc. (most groups). Pre-certification also may be required

for outpatient services for some employer groups.

You may pre-certify on behalf of PPO and POS members. You MUST pre-certify for

Community Participating Option (CPO), BlueAdvantage/BlueAdvantage Entrepreneur (BAE),

Blue Print (BP), BlueChoice Select and FEP members.* For HMO members, the HMO

Primary Care Physician (PCP) MUST notify the member’s Independent Physician Association

(IPA) of inpatient hospital admissions. (*See additional information regarding FEP member

pre-certifications below.)

How do I complete the pre-certification process?The best way to complete the pre-certification process is to call the number on the back of the

member’s ID card. If you do not have access to the member’s ID card, you may call our Provider

Telecommunications Center (PTC) at (800) 972-8088 to be transferred to the appropriate

area. Online pre-certification for inpatient services also is available via our iEXCHANGE tool.

For details and to sign up for iEXCHANGE, visit the Electronic Commerce section of our

Provider Web site at www.bcbsil.com/provider.

NOTE: There is a separate number on the back of the member’s ID card for pre-certification of mental health admissions and chemical dependency services.

Newborn Pre-certification ReminderPlease remember to notify BCBSIL when a newborn remains hospitalized after the mother is

discharged. You are required to call the number located on the back of the member’s ID card

to obtain pre-certification for any services rendered to the newborn.

It is always important to verify member eligibility andbenefits prior to administering treatment for aBCBSIL member. It is also recommended that youconsult BCBSIL Medical Policy to help ensure thatservices will be eligible for benefits, especially when aprocedure may considered experimental, investigativeor cosmetic. These steps are essential because, in theevent that the services may not be covered, it is yourresponsibility to notify the member that they may bebilled directly.

You may verify eligibility and obtain basicbenefit information for BCBSIL members via the following channels:

• Availity Provider Portal – www.availity.com

• NDAS (eCare®) Online* – www.nebo.com

• RealMed – https://claims.realmed.com

• BCBSIL Provider Telecommunications

Center (PTC) – (800) 972-8088

Prior to utilizing Availity, NDAS Online orRealMed, you must first register directly with these vendors. Additional information and links tothe vendor Web sites are available in the ElectronicCommerce section of our Provider Web site.

To view all approved BCBSIL Medical Policies,please visit our Web site at www.bcbsil.com/provider.These Medical Policies serve as guidelines forhealth care benefit coverage decisions, which may vary according to the different products and benefit plans offered by BCBSIL.

*NOTE: Nebo Systems offers the NDAS Online product to

independently contracted BCBSIL providers. Recently, NeboSystems was acquired by Passport Health Communications, Inc.Currently, there is a nominal charge per transaction for some ofthe online services available through this vendor. Please contactPassport Health Communications at (866) 810-0000 if you have

questions or need additional information.

eCare® is the federal trademark of Nebo Systems.

Federal Employee Program (FEP) Members Pre-certification and Predetermination Exceptions and Requirements

Pre-certification: When rendering services to FEP members, you must call the local Blue Cross and

Blue Shield plan where services are being rendered for pre-certification, regardless

of the state in which the member is insured.

5 July 2009

BlueCard® Tip: Pre-certification Requirementsfor Blue Plan Members It is important to obtain pre-certification of elective

inpatient admissions and some outpatient services

before services are rendered for out-of-area Blue Plan

members. While terminology among the various Blue

Plans may differ, the pre-certification, preadmission

review, preadmission certification or preauthorization

process typically involves a standardized review of the

proposed treatment plan, to determine if the service

or treatment meets the criteria of medical necessity

under the patient’s benefit plan.

Pre-certification must be obtained for all services

and dates submitted on the claim in order to

avoid requests for additional information, claim

processing delays or denials. Here are some

additional guidelines to help promote smooth

and timely out-of-area claims processing:

1. Contact the member's Blue Plan for pre-certification using the telephone number listed

located on the back of the member’s ID card. You

may also obtain pre-certification when calling the

BlueCard Eligibility line at (800) 676-BLUE (2583)*

to verify the member’s eligibility and benefits.

2. Contact the member's Blue Plan with updatedclinical information, if there is a change in the

patient’s status or when an extension of the

number of approved days/services is required.

3. Adhere to the member's Blue Plan guidelines,

when you are responsible for pre-certification,

including situations when extensions of stay or

follow-up calls are required.

*NOTE: If you need help navigating the Interactive

Voice Response (IVR) system, visit the BlueCard

Program section of our Web site for a complete

library of Out-of-state IVR Caller Guides.

For additional information, refer to the

BlueCard Program Manual on our Web site at:

www.bcbsil.com/PDF/bluecard_program_manual.pdf.

We value your input… Please share your out-of-area member servicing

experiences with us via e-mail at

provider_relations@bcbsil.com.

Predetermination, or Predetermination of Benefits, is a voluntary, written request

for review of treatment or services, including those that may be considered experimental,

investigational or cosmetic. Predetermination of Benefits approvals and denials are usually

based on provisions in our medical policies. A Predetermination of Benefits is not a substitute

for the pre-certification process.

When is it required?Submitting a Predetermination of Benefits request is optional in most cases.

(See additional information below regarding predeterminations for FEP members.)

How do I submit a Predetermination of Benefits request?Requests for review of services must be made using the Predetermination Request Form, available

on our Web site at www.bcbsil.com/provider. This form also may be used to appeal a previously

denied Predetermination of Benefits. The completed form must be faxed to BCBSIL, as indicated

on the form. BCBSIL will notify the provider when the final outcome has been reached.

Radiology Quality Initiative ProgramBCBSIL has partnered with American Imaging Management, Inc. (AIM) for management of

our Radiology Quality Initiative (RQI) Program. An RQI number is required by BCBSIL prior

to performing any of the high-tech, elective, non-emergency diagnostic imaging services listed

below for BCBSIL PPO and BlueChoice Select members:

• CT and CTA scans • Nuclear Cardiology studies

• MRI and MRA scans • PET scans

The RQI program applies to all of the above imaging services when performed in a

physician's office, the outpatient department of a hospital or a freestanding imaging center.

Ordering physicians can obtain, and imaging service providers can confirm, a patient's RQI

number via AIM's Web site at www.americanimaging.net. Additional information about

AIM and the RQI process may be found on our Web site at www.bcbsil.com/provider.

NOTE: If an RQI cannot be issued, you will be directed back to BCBSIL to complete the

predetermination process. The RQI program is not a substitute for the pre-certification process.

Please note that the fact that a guideline is available for any given treatment, or that a service or treatment has been pre-certifiedor predetermined for benefits, or an RQI number has been issued is not a guarantee of payment. Benefits will be determinedonce a claim is received and will be based upon, among other things, the member’s eligibility and the terms of the member’scertificate of coverage applicable on the date services were rendered.

Example: If a New York FEP member is hospitalized in Illinois – you are required to call

BCBSIL. This is the exception to the normal pre-certification process, as outlined within

the general Pre-certification and Predetermination Guidelines above.

Predetermination of Benefits: A review of the following services is required for FEP members:

• Outpatient/Inpatient surgery for Morbid Obesity

• Outpatient/Inpatient surgical correction of Congenital Anomalies, and

• Outpatient/Inpatient Oral/ Maxillofacial surgical procedures needed to correct

accidental injuries to jaws, cheeks, lips, tongue, roof and floor of mouth

BCBSIL published an article on our Web site at www.bcbsil.com in October

2008, as well as in the December 2008 Blue Review in reference to billing

unclassified drugs/injections under “Not Otherwise Classified (NOC)”

drug/injection codes (e.g., J3490, J3590, etc.) using the National Drug Code

(NDC) number.*

We advised physicians and providers that effective Feb. 1, 2009, BCBSIL would

begin checking NDC numbers against the Current Procedural Terminology

(CPT)/Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) procedure

codes as published by the American Medical Association (AMA).

In order to properly adjudicate claims and reimburse physicians and providers

for these procedure codes, BCBSIL continues to enhance its capabilities for

NDC processing to reduce underpayments and overpayments to our physicians

and providers. We are currently using average wholesale pricing supplied by

Prime Therapeutics to properly adjudicate unclassified drugs/injections.

It is important that physicians and providers supply the necessary information

for BCBSIL to properly adjudicate and reimburse claims for these procedures.

Our claims processing units may have called your office requesting additional

information regarding these unclassified drugs/injections when billed by your

physicians. This is done in an effort to properly adjudicate the claim without

having to request additional information in writing, which could delay the

processing of the claim.

In an effort to minimize these calls to your office, please be sure to include

the following information on your claims when billing for unlisted

drugs/injections:

• NDC Number

• Drug Name

• Dosage administered (e.g., 5 mg, 10 mg, etc.)

• How the number of units being billed on the claim is being administered

(e.g., 5 mg = 1 unit, 10 mg = 5 units, etc.)

• Strength of drug administered (e.g. 25 mg/ml, 10 mg/10 ml, etc.)

• Single dose vial or Multi-dose vial

*NOTE: An NDC number can only be used for a maximum of two years, after which time it becomes obsolete.

If you have any questions, you

may contact our Provider

Telecommunications Center

(PTC) at (800) 972-8088

for assistance.

Update: Proper Use of ‘Not Otherwise Classified (NOC)’ J-codes

Annual Physician/Practitioner Surveys Watch for these Surveys: We Want to Hear From You!

HMO Primary Care Physicians (PCPs) and randomly selected PPO primary care type and specialist physicians

are receiving 2009 surveys.

The surveys are performed annually to analyze physician satisfaction with activities and to evaluate physician experience with

primary hospital services. The HMO survey includes questions about operational, service and reporting activities that HMO

IPAs and BCBSIL conduct. PCPs that contract with more than one HMO IPA will receive a separate survey for each entity

for which they are contracted. The PPO survey also includes questions about BCBSIL activities.

BCBSIL has consistently maintained the confidentiality of all physicians who respond to the surveys.

A number on the survey identifies the physician to assure that we do not record more than one set

of responses per physician. Aggregate results are reported to BCBSIL operating areas and the

HMO IPAs without identification of individual physicians.

The survey questions are addressed directly to the physicians. However, physicians may have office

staff more familiar with some activities. Physicians are encouraged to obtain assistance from

their office staff to complete the survey. Some questions may not apply to the experience of the

physician or their office staff. “No experience” is always an acceptable response when it applies.

Please return all completed surveys in the postage-paid envelope within 10 business days of receipt.

Visit our Web site at www.bcbsil.com/provider 6

7 July 2009

New Electronic CommerceInformational ResourcesHere's an easy way to learn more about ElectronicFunds Transfer (EFT), Electronic Remittance Advice(ERA) and Electronic Payment Summary (EPS)

BCBSIL offers EFT, ERA and EPS to help increase

administrative efficiencies and reduce paper in your

office. Taking advantage of all three of these electronic

options together can help you synchronize your

payment and reporting processes, among other benefits.

We invite you to view our new EFT, ERA and EPSFrequently Asked Questions to find answers to

questions and concerns we hear most often from

providers. Just click on Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) /

Electronic Remittance Advice (ERA) in the Electronic

Commerce section of our Provider Web site at

www.bcbsil.com to view the new FAQs and find out how

easy it is to participate in these paperless transactions.

You may also contact the Electronic Commerce Center

at (800) 746-4614 if you need additional assistance.

Watch for These Claim Number SequenceChanges on Your Electronic Claim TransactionsEach claim that we receive is assigned a claim number which allows us to track and manage

inventory as a claim is processed. Effective June 29, 2009, BCBSIL has enhanced the claim

number sequence for claims that have an “X” at the end of the claim number. You will see this

new claim number sequence on your Provider Claim Summary (PCS), Electronic Payment

Summary (EPS) and Electronic Remittance Advice (ERA), ANSI X12 835. If you are currently

receiving a Daily Payer Report (DPR), you will see the new claim number sequence on this

report as well.

What will the new number sequence look like?Previously, our claims were assigned a 17-digit number. Going forward, claim number

assignments will contain a combination of 17 alpha and numeric digits. The alpha character

will appear within the 11th through 15th positions of the number sequence. Letters such as

“I” and “O” will not be used since they look similar to numbers.

Here are some examples to give you an idea of how the new claim number will appear:

PCS/EPS Old Claim Number Sequence:0000123456789100X

PCS/EPS New Claim Number Sequence:0000123456A89100X

ERA/835 Old Claim Number Sequence:CLP*607223XX001B*1*14473.55*5746.88*100*15*0000123456789100X**1**065

ERA/835 New Claim Number Sequence:CLP*607223XX001B*1*14473.55*5746.88*100*15*0000123456A89100X**1**065

Currently, you may only see a few claims that have been enhanced with the new claim number.

By the end of 2009, the new claim number sequence will appear on all BCBSIL claims.

Update on ‘Michelle’s Law’ Dependent Student Medical Leave Certification Form Now Available Online

In compliance with Michelle's Law, BCBSIL has made available the Dependent Student

Medical Leave Certification Form in the Provider Library section of our Web site at

www.bcbsil.com/provider/forms.htm. Members are required to use this form to request

a medical leave of absence for a dependent.

The attending physician must also complete a section of the certification form, and provide

the following information:

• Confirmation that the student suffers from a serious illness or injury, and verification

that leave of absence is medically necessary

• Explanation of student’s medical condition

• Timeframe for medical leave

• Signature of attending physician

Completed and signed forms can be mailed to:

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, PO BOX 805107, Chicago, IL 60680-4112.

In summary, Michelle's Law (Public Law No: 110-381) allows college students insured under

their parents’ policies to remain covered if they are required to take a medical leave of absence

from school, or make any other enrollment changes that might cause them to lose dependent

student eligibility.

Following the medical leave, student dependents will once again be required to provide

student certification in order to remain eligible for dependent coverage.

This form should be used only for student medical leaves covered under "Michelle's Law,"and student medical leaves covered under Illinois Public Act 095-0958.

In an effort to comply with Fairness in Contracting

Legislation and keep our independently contracted

providers informed, BCBSIL has designated a

column in the Blue Review to notify you of any

changes to the physician fee schedules. Be sure to

review this area each month.

Effective June 15, 2009, codes 90378, P9603 andP9604 were updated.

Annual and quarterly fee schedule updates can be

requested by downloading the Fee Schedule Request

Form at www.bcbsil.com/provider/ forms.htm.

Specific code changes that are listed above can also be

obtained by downloading the Fee Schedule Request

Form and specifically requesting the updates on the

codes listed in the Blue Review.

Fairness in Contracting

The Choice is Yours...Did you know you can opt out of receiving a paper provider newsletter in the mail? It’s easy –just visit the Provider Home page on our Web site at www.bcbsil.com. Click on the “PickPaperless” icon to gain access to a convenient online form you can use to share your e-mailaddress with us.*

We welcome you to consider receiving your Blue Review via e-mail in order to gain quickeraccess to BCBSIL information each month. Electronic delivery also may make distributioneasier – just forward the newsletter to your staff via e-mail,rather than making copies.

If you would prefer to continue receiving a papernewsletter, there is nothing you need to do. Unlesswe receive your request to turn off the paper, youwill continue to receive your Blue Review in themail as you do currently.

*NOTE: Blue Cross andBlue Shield of Illinois isaware of your privacyconcerns. We will makeevery effort to ensure thatyour e-mail address ismaintained in a secureenvironment and held in the strictest confidence.

Blue Review is a monthly newsletter published for Institutional and ProfessionalProviders contracting with Blue Cross andBlue Shield of Illinois. We encourage you toshare the content of this newsletter with yourstaff. Blue Review is located on our Web site atwww.bcbsil.com/provider.

The editors and staff of Blue Review welcomeletters to the editor. Address letters to:

Blue ReviewBlue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois300 E. Randolph Street – 25th FloorChicago, Illinois 60601-5099E-mail: bluereview@bcbsil.com

Web site: www.bcbsil.com/provider.

Publisher:Stephen Hamman, VP, Network Management

Editor:Gail Larsen, DVP, Provider Relations

Managing Editor:Jeanne Trumbo, Sr. Manager

Editorial Staff:Margaret O’Toole, Marsha Tallerico and Allene WalkerBCBSIL makes no endorsement, representations or warrantiesregarding any products or services offered by independentthird party vendors mentioned in this newsletter. The vendorsare solely responsible for the products or services offered bythem. If you have any questions regarding any of the productsor services mentioned in this periodical, you should contactthe vendor directly.

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGEPAIDPERMIT NO. 581CHICAGO, IL

00014.0709 A Division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association

10%

Certno.SCS-COC-001528