BlueLink Newsletter

CareFirst's bimonthly administrative provider newsletter for participating practitioners and their office staff.

2021

Month
Highlights
Cover of BlueLink December 2021 issue December
  • New CareFirst Member ID Cards to Display Additional Benefit Information
  • Update on the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA)
  • Coming Soon: New Interactive CareFirst Direct User Guides
  • Review the Latest Updates to CareFirst’s Medical Provider Manual
  • Are you Taking Advantage of our New Provider Education Site?
  • FOBT Colorectal Cancer Screening on the Rise – Kevin Schendel, M.D.
  • BlueHPNSM Updates for 2022
  • CareFirst Expands its Available Networks – Are you In- or Out-of-Network?
  • Launch of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Group Medicare Advantage Plan
  • Medical Preferred Drug Strategy Update – January 1, 2022
  • High Risk OB Care Management Overview and Referral Process
  • Effective Dates, Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) Codes and Policy Updates for December
  • New Place of Service Pre-Processing Edit
  • New Year, New Office Habits for CareFirst Direct Users
  • Are You Up to Date on Best Practices and Quality Standards?
  • Available Vaccine Resources
  • In Case You Missed It
Cover of BlueLink October 2021 issue October
  • Requirement: Verify Your Provider Data
  • Let’s Stay Connected – Keep in Touch With Us
  • What Providers Need to Know About the Consolidated Appropriations Act and Consumer Transparency Rules
  • Review the Latest Updates to CareFirst’s Provider Manual
  • Provider Profile Score Training
  • Blue High Performance NetworkSM (BlueHPNSM) Expansion and Upcoming Training
  • Are You Accepting New Patients … or Not?
  • CareFirst Announces New Behavioral Health Digital Resource
  • CareFirst Launches Kidney Screening Pilot
  • CareFirst Implements New Care Management Platform
  • Oncology Care Management Overview and Referral Process
  • Changes to Maryland Facilities: Commercial and Medicare Advantage
  • Metabolic Monitoring for Children and Adolescents on Antipsychotics
  • Launch of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Group Advantage Plan
  • Are You In- or Out-of-Network?
  • Onduo – A Physician’s Perspective by Dr. Kevin Schendel
  • Effective Dates, Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) Codes and Policy Updates for October
  • October Medical Technology Updates
  • New Authorization System Launched for Commercial and Federal Employee Plan (FEP) Members
  • Medications Added to Prior Authorization and Site of Care Management Lists – Effective 12/01/21
  • Enhancements to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Supported Regimen-level Review – Effective 12/01/21
  • Remind Your Patients to Schedule Dental Appointments
  • Remind Your Patients with Diabetes to Schedule Annual Comprehensive Eye Exams
  • Are You Up to Date on Best Practices and Quality Standards?
  • Available Vaccine Resources
  • In Case You Missed It
Cover of BlueLink August 2021 issue August
  • What Providers Need to Know About the Consolidated Appropriations Act and Consumer Transparency Rules
  • Are You Accepting New Patients…or Not?
  • Upcoming Webinars for New Prior Authorization System
  • Medicare Advantage Inpatient Authorizations Update
  • Care Reminders Campaign
  • Colorectal Screening Pilot Project
  • CareFirst Launches Hypertension Program Pilot
  • Coming to a Provider’s Office Near You: CareFirst’s Behavioral Health DocTour
  • Changes to the Utilization Management and Review Process
  • CareFirst Expands its Available Networks – Are you In- or Out-of-Network?
  • Social Determinants of Health – A Message from Dr. Kevin Schendel, M.D.
  • Effective Dates, Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) Codes and Policy Updates for August
  • August Medical Technology Updates
  • Medications Added to Prior Authorization and Site of Care Management Lists – Effective 10/01/21
  • Enhancements to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Supported Regimen-level Review – Effective 10/01/21
  • Place of Service Reminder for Residential Treatment Centers
  • Are You Up to Date on Best Practices and Quality Standards?
  • Available Vaccine Resources
  • In Case You Missed It
Cover of BlueLink June 2021 issue June
  • Coming Soon! A New and Improved Center for Provider Education
  • Review the Latest Updates to CareFirst’s Medical Provider Manual
  • Are You Accepting New Patients…or Not?
  • New Prior Authorization System Now Coming Fall 2021
  • The Kidney Profile
  • Care Management Overview and Referral Process
  • 24/7 Virtual Care Options
  • CareFirst is Growing its Available Networks – Are you In- or Out-of-Network?
  • Effective Dates, Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) Codes and Policy Updates for June
  • June Medical Technology Updates
  • Medications Added to Prior Authorization and Site of Care with Criteria Enhancement—Effective 8/1/21
  • Are You Up to Date on Best Practices and Quality Standards?
  • Available Vaccine Resources
  • In Case You Missed It
Cover of BlueLink April 2021 issue April
  • Review the Latest Updates to CareFirst’s Medical Provider Manual
  • New Prior Authorization System Coming Mid-2021
  • CareFirst Expands Access to its Online Fee Schedule Tool
  • A PCMH Perspective on Remote Patient Monitoring
  • Medications Added to Prior Authorization List – Effective 7/1/21
  • CareFirst is Growing its Available Networks – Are you In or Out of Network?
  • April Effective Dates, Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) Codes and Policy Updates
  • April Medical Technology Updates
  • Are You Up to Date on Best Practices and Quality Standards?
  • In Case You Missed It
Cover of BlueLink February 2021 issue February
  • Medicare Advantage Product and Authorization Training Available
  • Clinical Practice Guideline Updates are Available on CareFirst.com
  • CareFirst is Growing its available Networks – Are you In or Out of Network?
  • Blue High Performance Network (HPN) Beginning January 2021
  • Celebrate the Little Smiles During National Children’s Dental Health Month
  • Care Management Updates Effective January 1, 2021
  • Refer Patients to CareFirst’s Diabetes Virtual Care Program
  • The Value of a Second Opinion
  • February Effective Dates, Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) Codes and Policy Updates
  • February Medical Technology Updates
  • Medicare Advantage Claims – Are You Submitting Correctly?
  • CareFirst Updates Automatically Approved Inpatient Notifications
  • Medications Added to Prior Authorization List and Site of Care – Effective May 1
  • Drug Prior Authorization – Enhancements to NCCN Supported Regimen-Level Review Coming in May
  • Are You Up to Date on Best Practices and Quality Standards?