Medicare Blog

how are health claims handled when blue cross is secondary over medicare?

by Mustafa D'Amore Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
image

The crossover program allows Medicare to electronically transfer claims along with an explanation of Medicare Benefits (EOMB) directly to Medicare's supplemental insurance payers (such as Medigap). This only applies when Medicare is the primary insurer and BlueCross BlueShield is the secondary insurer. Outlining the Medicare crossover process:

Full Answer

How does Medicare crossover work with Blue Cross Blue Shield?

2012-09-19. Since January 1, 2006, all Blue Plans, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC), have been required to process Medicare crossover claims for services covered under Medigap and Medicare Supplemental products through Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This has resulted in automatic submission of Medicare claims to the …

When will Blue Cross NC return my Medicare primary claim?

GHPs such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans are required to process and make primary payment on the claim in accordance with the coverage provisions of their contract. If the GHP does not pay in full for the services, Medicare may make a secondary payment for Medicare-covered services up to the Medicare approved amount.

Is Medicare a secondary payer to group health plans?

 · Claims you submit to the Medicare intermediary will be crossed over to Blue Cross only after they have been processed by Medicare. This process may take approximately 14 business days to occur. As a result, upon receipt of the remittance advice from Medicare, it may take up to 30 additional calendar days from the crossover for you to recieive payment or …

When to resubmit a Medicare claim that did not crossover?

 · Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) is the term generally used when the Medicare program does not have primary payment responsibility - that is, when another entity has the responsibility for paying before Medicare. When Medicare began in 1966, it was the primary payer for all claims except for those covered by Workers' Compensation, Federal Black Lung benefits, …

image

What is Medicare Secondary Payer Rule?

Generally the Medicare Secondary Payer rules prohibit employers with 20 or more employees from in any way incentivizing an active employee age 65 or older to elect Medicare instead of the group health plan, which includes offering a financial incentive.

Does Medicare forward claims to secondary insurance?

Medicare will send the secondary claims automatically if the secondary insurance information is on the claim. As of now, we have to submit to primary and once the payments are received than we submit the secondary.

How does Medicare crossover claims work?

1. What is meant by the crossover payment? When Medicaid providers submit claims to Medicare for Medicare/Medicaid beneficiaries, Medicare will pay the claim, apply a deductible/coinsurance or co-pay amount and then automatically forward the claim to Medicaid.

Does Medicare accept secondary electronic claims?

Currently, Medicare does not accept electronically filed claims when there is more than one payer primary to Medicare. Claims that involve more than one primary payer to Medicare must be submitted on the 1500 paper claim form, with all appropriate attachments.

When submitting a secondary claim what fields will the secondary insurance be in?

Secondary insurance of the patient is chosen as primary insurance for this secondary claim; primary insurance in the primary claim is chosen as secondary insurance in the secondary claim. Payment received from primary payer should be put in 'Amount Paid (Copay)(29)' field in Step-2 of Secondary claim wizard.

When BCBS payers for the primary and secondary policies are different?

If the payers for the primary and secondary or supplemental policies are different, submit a CMS-1500 claim to the primary payer.

How is Medicare crossover set up?

How do Medicare claims cross over to Medi-Cal? Medicare uses a Coordination of Benefits Contractor (COBC) to electronically, automatically cross over claims billed to the Medicare Part A, Part B and Durable Medical Equipment (DME) contractors for Medicare/Medi-Cal eligible recipients.

When would you use a crossover claim?

In health insurance, a "crossover claim" occurs when a person eligible for Medicare and Medicaid receives health care services covered by both programs. The crossover claims process is designed to ensure the bill gets paid properly, and doesn't get paid twice.

How do I submit a tertiary claim to Medicare?

How to Properly Submit a Claim to Medicare for Tertiary Benefits. Tertiary Claims can be submitted through the Fiscal Intermediary Standard System (FISS) Direct Data Entry (DDE) or by paper utilizing the UB-04 form. At this time, tertiary claims cannot be submitted to Novitas electronically.

Will secondary pay if primary denies?

If your primary insurance denies coverage, secondary insurance may or may not pay some part of the cost, depending on the insurance. If you do not have primary insurance, your secondary insurance may make little or no payment for your health care costs.

When would a biller most likely submit a claim to secondary insurance?

If a claim has a remaining balance after the primary insurance has paid, you will want to submit the claim to the secondary insurance, if one applies.

What is a Medicare Secondary qualifier?

Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) is the term generally used when the Medicare program does not have primary payment responsibility - that is, when another entity has the responsibility for paying before Medicare.

How does Medicare work with other insurance?

When there's more than one payer, "coordination of benefits" rules decide which one pays first. The "primary payer" pays what it owes on your bills first, and then sends the rest to the "secondary payer" (supplemental payer) ...

Which pays first, Medicare or group health insurance?

If you have group health plan coverage through an employer who has 20 or more employees, the group health plan pays first, and Medicare pays second.

What is a Medicare company?

The company that acts on behalf of Medicare to collect and manage information on other types of insurance or coverage that a person with Medicare may have, and determine whether the coverage pays before or after Medicare. This company also acts on behalf of Medicare to obtain repayment when Medicare makes a conditional payment, and the other payer is determined to be primary.

What is the phone number for Medicare?

It may include the rules about who pays first. You can also call the Benefits Coordination & Recovery Center (BCRC) at 1-855-798-2627 (TTY: 1-855-797-2627).

How long does it take for Medicare to pay a claim?

If the insurance company doesn't pay the claim promptly (usually within 120 days), your doctor or other provider may bill Medicare. Medicare may make a conditional payment to pay the bill, and then later recover any payments the primary payer should have made. If Medicare makes a. conditional payment.

Which insurance pays first, Medicare or No Fault?

No-fault insurance or liability insurance pays first and Medicare pays second.

When does Medicare pay for COBRA?

When you’re eligible for or entitled to Medicare due to End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), during a coordination period of up to 30 months, COBRA pays first. Medicare pays second, to the extent COBRA coverage overlaps the first 30 months of Medicare eligibility or entitlement based on ESRD.

What is Medicare Secondary Payer?

Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) is a term used when Medicare is not responsible for paying first on a healthcare claim. The decision as to who is responsible for paying first on a claim and who pays second is known in the insurance industry as “coordination of benefits.”

What is BCRC in Medicare?

The Benefits Coordination & Recovery Center (BCRC) consolidates the activities that support the identification, collection, management, and reporting of other primary insurance coverage for Medicare beneficiaries. They also collect and supply information on supplemental prescription drug coverage. The BCRC updates the Medicare systems with other insurance information.

What is a group health plan?

A Group Health Plan is health coverage sponsored by an employer or employee organization (such as a union) for a group of employees, and possibly for dependents and retirees as well. The term GHP includes self-insured plans, plans of government entities (Federal, State, and local), and employee organization plans such as union plans, employee health and welfare funds, or other employee organization plans. The term also includes “employee-pay-all” plans which receive no financial contributions from the employer. The term does not include self-employed persons. 7

What is management of other insurance information?

Management of other insurance information is an ongoing process. Other insurance information for Medicare beneficiaries constantly changes. For example, Working Aged Medicare beneficiaries or their spouses retire, pending Liability cases get resolved, No-Fault insurance benefits become exhausted, and supplemental prescription drug coverage is dropped. All of these circumstances require updates to existing other insurance occurrences. All of the changes that occur must be updated on Medicare’s systems. The BCRC ensures appropriate updates are made to Medicare’s systems of records. 25

What happens if a Medicare report is rejected?

If the record is rejected, the submitter is expected to research the record and submit a correction.

What is Medicare data match?

This data match identifies persons that have had earnings in a given tax year. If a Medicare beneficiary and/or the spouse of a beneficiary has had earnings, that signifies employment, which means it is possible they also had Group Health Plan insurance coverage. A questionnaire is then sent to the employer inquiring about possible coverage that is primary to Medicare. If coverage exists or existed, dates of coverage are obtained, as well as the name and address of the insurer. Records obtained through this process are generally very reliable. 21

What is the purpose of coordination of benefits?

The purpose of Coordination of Benefits is to identify the other insurance benefits available to a Medicare beneficiary, and to coordinate the payment process to prevent mistaken payment of Medicare benefits.

How long does it take for Medicare to cross over to Blue Cross?

When a Medicare claim has crossed over, providers are to wait 30 calendar days from the Medicare remittance date before submitting a claim to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. Claims you submit to the Medicare intermediary will be crossed over to Blue Cross only after they have been processed by Medicare.

How to find if a Medicare claim is crossed over?

If a claim is crossed over, you will receive a message beneath the patient’s claim information on the Payment Register/Remittance Advice that indicates the claim was forwarded to the carrier.

What happens if a remittance does not contain a message similar to the above?

If the remittance does not contain a message similar to the above, the claim was not crossed over to the payer. This claim must be filed on paper to the Plan listed on the member’s ID card. The following claims are excluded from the crossover process for Blue Cross:

What is a CIF for a crossover claim?

A CIF is used to initiate an adjustment or correction on a claim. The four ways to use a. CIF for a crossover claim are: • Reconsideration of a denied claim. • Trace a claim (direct billed claims only) • Adjustment for an overpayment or underpayment. • Adjustment related to a Medicare adjustment.

Can a CIF be submitted to a direct billing crossover?

However a CIF must be submitted to trace a direct billed crossover claim. Submit a crossover claim (CMS-1500/UB-04 with an MRN or Medicare RA) to trace an automatic crossover claim.

What is the RA code for Medicare?

When a claim is crossed over to MDHHS, a remittance advice (RA) will be generated from the fiscal intermediary with the details of the Medicare payment and Remark Code MA07 (the claim information has also been forwarded to Medicaid for review). If this remark does not appear on the fiscal intermediary’s RA, a separate claim will have to be submitted to MDHHS.

Does MDHHS accept Medicare Part A?

MDHHS accepts Medicare Part A institutional claims (inpatient and outpatient) and Medicare Part B professional claims processed through the CMS Coordinator of Benefits Contractor, Group Health, Inc. (GHI). Claim adjudication will be based on the provider NPI number reported on the claim submitted to Medicare.

What is Medicare Secondary Payer?

Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) is the term generally used when the Medicare program does not have primary payment responsibility - that is, when another entity has the responsibility for paying before Medicare. When Medicare began in 1966, it was the primary payer for all claims except for those covered by Workers' Compensation, ...

Why is Medicare conditional?

Medicare makes this conditional payment so that the beneficiary won’t have to use his own money to pay the bill. The payment is “conditional” because it must be repaid to Medicare when a settlement, judgment, award or other payment is made. Federal law takes precedence over state laws and private contracts.

What are the responsibilities of an employer under MSP?

As an employer, you must: Ensure that your plans identify those individuals to whom the MSP requirement applies; Ensure that your plans provide for proper primary payments whereby law Medicare is the secondary payer; and.

What age is Medicare?

Retiree Health Plans. Individual is age 65 or older and has an employer retirement plan: Medicare pays Primary, Retiree coverage pays secondary. 6. No-fault Insurance and Liability Insurance. Individual is entitled to Medicare and was in an accident or other situation where no-fault or liability insurance is involved.

What is ESRD covered by?

3. End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD): Individual has ESRD, is covered by a GHP and is in the first 30 months of eligibility or entitlement to Medicare. GHP pays Primary, Medicare pays secondary during 30-month coordination period for ESRD. Individual has ESRD, is covered by a Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA plan) ...

Does GHP pay for Medicare?

GHP pays Primary, Medicare pays secondary. Individual is age 65 or older, is self-employed and covered by a GHP through current employment or spouse’s current employment AND the employer has 20 or more employees (or at least one employer is a multi-employer group that employs 20 or more individuals): GHP pays Primary, Medicare pays secondary.

Is Medicare the primary payer?

Medicare remains the primary payer for beneficiaries who are not covered by other types of health insurance or coverage. Medicare is also the primary payer in certain instances, provided several conditions are met.

What is a Medicare crossover claim?

The crossover program allows Medicare to electronically transfer claims along with an explanation of Medicare Benefits (EOMB) directly to Medicare's supplemental insurance payers (such as Medigap). This only applies when Medicare is the primary insurer and BlueCross BlueShield is the secondary insurer.

How to cross over Medicare?

Outlining the Medicare crossover process: 1 When an EOMB has been crossed over to us, we will receive it and process it 2 If an EOMB Medicare sent to you from Medicare tells you a claim has not been crossed over, you may then send us an electronic claim immediately 3 If you don’t get secondary reimbursement from us, please wait 30 days from the EOMB date (date of Medicare adjudication) before submitting a claim to us; this will reduce duplicate claims processing

When will the 2021 fee schedule update be effective?

2021 Fee Schedule Update#N#Our annual fee schedule update will be effective on October 1. Changes to reimbursement include an overall 2-3% increase in evaluation and management codes and other increases for midlevels and psychologists. Updates to certain reimbursement policies are also included.

Can Medicare 835 be billed electronically?

If you are receiving an electronic remittance (835) from Medicare, you should incorporate the information on the 835 into the secondary fields on the 837 you are submitting to us . Tertiary claims must be billed via our preferred electronic method, or on paper. You can visit HEALTHeNET to check the status of claims.

Can you submit Medicare claims electronically?

Submitting a Medicare secondary insurer claim (if necessary): Medicare claims can be submitted electronically using the Institutional (837I) or Professional (837P) formats. You don’t need to submit the paper EOMB if all information is submitted on the 837 form. If you are receiving an electronic remittance (835) from Medicare, ...

Do you need to send a paper claim to COB?

We can receive coordination of benefits (COB) claims electronically, so you don’t need to send us a paper claim unless there is a required attachment.

Does Highmark require preauthorization?

We will adopt many of Highmark’s preauthorization requirements for your patients as they gradually move onto Highmark’s system. Durable medical equipment (DME) is one area where requirements for preauthorization will be expanded from what we currently require. In this article, you can review Highmark DME requirements.

What does it mean to have two health insurance plans?

Having two health plans can help cover normally out-of-pocket medical expenses, but also means you'll likely have to pay two premiums and face two deductibles.

What does secondary insurance cover?

The secondary health insurance payer covers bills that the primary insurance payer didn’t cover.

Who pays the medical bill?

The primary insurance payer is the insurance company responsible for paying the claim first. When you receive health care services, the primary payer pays your medical bills up to the coverage limits. The secondary payer then reviews the remaining bill and picks up its portion.

Is Medicare considered a primary insurance?

Medicare and a private health plan – Typically , Medicare is considered primary if the worker is 65 or older and his or her employer has less than 20 employees. A private insurer is primary if the employer has 20 or more employees.

Can a child stay on their parents' health insurance?

A child under 26 - The Affordable Care Act lets children stay on their parents’ health plan until they turn 26. That could result in a child having her own health plan through an employer while remaining on the family’s plan. In that case, the child’s health plan is primary and the parents’ plan is secondary.

What happens when a member has double insurance?

When a member has double insurance, his or her individual circumstances determine which insurance is primary and which is secondary. Following are some examples of how this might work: A married couple - A wife has a health plan with her employer, but her husband’s health plan also covers her.

What is the process of coordinating health insurance?

That way, both health plans pay their fair share without paying more than 100% of the medical costs. This process is called coordination of benefits.

What is Blue Cross and Blue Shield?

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan is the number one choice of federal retirees in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. For nearly 60 years, we’ve been covering federal employees and retirees.

What is Blue365 for Blue Cross?

Blue365 is a discount program exclusively for Blue Cross and Blue Shield members. Through the program, you can get discounts on different products and services that can help you live a healthy lifestyle, such as diet and exercise plans, gym shoes and athletic apparel, hearing aids and more.

What is Blue365 discount?

Through the program, you can get discounts on different products and services that can help you live a healthy lifestyle, such as diet and exercise plans, gym shoes and athletic apparel, hearing aids and more. View all the current available deals at

When do you pay Medicare cost share?

Nothing up to day 30. You pay the Medicare cost share beginning day 31. No benefit. You pay the Medicare cost share.

Does FEP Blue Focus cover prescription drugs?

Both Standard and Basic Option cover Preferred and Non-preferred drugs, while FEP Blue Focus only covers Preferred drugs. If you currently take prescription drugs, you should check our approved drug lists (formularies) to ensure your drug is covered under your selected plan. This is VERYimportant to ensure you get the most out of your coverage. You don’t want to select a plan where your drug is not covered, and you pay very high costs for your prescriptions. You can download copies of the current formulary lists at fepblue.org/formulary. You can also use our Prescription Drug Cost Tool to see what your prescriptions will cost under each of our plans if you combine your coverage with Medicare. Use the tool today at fepblue.org.

Does Medicare cover foot care?

If you have a long-term condition such as diabetes, your Service Benefit Plan coverage will cover necessary routine foot care. And, when combined with Medicare coverage, you’ll pay nothing out of pocket for these treatments.

Do you have to pay for prescriptions when you combine Medicare Part B and Medicare Part B?

You would still need to pay for pre scriptions, but for Standard and Basic Option we reduce the amount you pay for some drugs when you have Medicare Part B primary.

image
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9