April 22, 2009

BC-09-07
HP-09-05
SA-09-06
MS-09-06

HHA-09-04
DC-09-04
ASC-09-05

Blue Select and Premier Blue To Be Discontinued

Blue Select

Blue Select is a point-of-services health benefits program offered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS).  Over the past several years, BCBSKS has been in the process of phasing out this particular product line, offering Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO) products in its place. 

Effective May 1, 2009, this phase out will be complete.

Premier Blue

Premier Blue (also known as Premier Health, Inc) is a health maintenance organization (HMO) healthcare policy that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS) began offering to employer groups in 1995.  Through this managed care program, members selected a primary care physician who coordinated all care.  Beginning January 1, 2008, BCBSKS started phasing out this product.  Throughout 2008 employer groups enrolled in Premier Blue were offered other BCBSKS policies.  As of May 1, 2009, Premier Blue agreements will come to an end.

After May 1, 2009, any Premier Blue claim will be reported, expensed and paid on a regular BCBSKS remittance advice (RA).  Claims will be processed based on date of submission rather than date of service. 

Additional changes affecting Premier Blue that providers and their staff need to know are:

• Premier Blue Class of contact field on the RA will still report "PB".
• Referral look up on the Web will be removed.
• Premier Blue resources on the Web site will be removed.
• Timely filing for Premier Blue is 18 months after the date of service, followed by an 18 month adjustment period.

• Letters pertaining to Premier Blue members will be printed on BCBSKS corporate letterhead.

Premier Blue members can be identified by the alpha prefix XSP on their ID card.  Premier Blue was not offered statewide, but rather it was limited to the following counties:  Atchison, Brown, Butler, Chase, Clay, Coffey, Cowley, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Franklin, Geary, Greenwood, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Kingman, Leavenworth, Lincoln, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Miami, Morris, Nemaha, Osage, Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Sumner, Wabaunsee, and Washington.

Incorporating Premier Blue RAs into BCBSKS RAs requires special processing arrangements be done the last week of April for all lines of business.  Outlined below are those arrangements.

If you were one of the many Blue Select and/or Premier Blue contracting facilities, we appreciate your participation throughout the years. 

cg