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FAQs - Availity

  1. What is Availity®?
  2. Why is Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas teaming with Availity?
  3. What services are available through Availity?
  4. Will other transactions be available in the future?
  5. Is BCBSKS going to require all of its contracting providers to use Availity?
  6. What are the advantages of using Availity?
  7. Who should providers call if they have questions about Availity?
  8. What are the technical requirements?
  1. What is Availity®?

    Availity offers a multi-payer portal at www.availity.com that gives physicians, hospitals and other health care providers secure access to multiple payers’ information through a single sign-on. Availity offers a variety of business and clinical solutions to help providers reduce administrative costs by eliminating paperwork and phone calls. Availity is one of the nation’s largest electronic health information networks, processing more than a billion transactions each year.

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  2. Why is Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas teaming with Availity?

    Increasing the online, self-service adoption rate among BCBSKS contracting providers is expected to lower administrative costs for both the provider and BCBSKS, improve efficiency at the provider practice and lower the number of calls that come in to BCBSKS customer service, freeing up those representatives to provide faster service to members and providers with more complicated questions.

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  3. What services are available through Availity?
    • Providers can use the portal for the following transactions for Blue Cross and Blue Shield cardholders in Kansas:
      • Eligibility and benefits verification
      • Claim status inquiries
    • Providers who require other online services, such as precertification, will be re-directed to the secure section of the BCBSKS Web site without having to sign on again.
    • Additional transactions and services are available for other payers.
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  4. Will other transactions be available in the future?

    Yes, BCBSKS plans to make additional online services available through the Availity portal in the future. In the meantime, providers who require other online services – such as precertification – will be re-directed from the Availity portal to the secure section of the BCBSKS Web site without having to sign on again.

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  5. Is BCBSKS going to require all of its contracting providers to use Availity?

    In time, BCBSKS will require all providers to migrate to Availity so both BCBSKS and our contracting providers can reap the benefits of lower administrative costs and improved efficiency. However, we want to allow adequate time for our contracting providers to become comfortable with the Availity portal and we have not yet set a final migration date. Once we do, we will be sure to give our contracting providers substantial notice.

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  6. What are the advantages of using Availity?
    • No Charge – Health plan transactions are available at no charge to providers.
    • Accessibility – Availity functions are available 24 hours a day from any computer with Internet access.
    • Standard responses – Availity returns responses from multiple payers in the same format and screen layout, providing users with a consistent look and feel.
    • Commercial and Government Payers – Access to data from BCBSKS, Medicare and other commercial insurers. A full list of participating payers for each state by participation type is available at www.availity.com. Simply click Info for Providers, then click View Availity Health Plan Partners at the right-hand side of the page.
    • Compliance – Availity is compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations. Availity’s statement of compliance is available at www.availity.com. Select Info for Providers and then Regulatory Compliance. The link to Regulatory Compliance can be found on the right hand side of the Info for Providers page.
    • Training – Availity offers free live and pre-recorded Web-based training seminars (webinars), in addition to job guides, demonstrations, Help topics and other valuable learning options. Providers simply log into the Availity portal and register to attend the webinars of their choice. Demonstrations, frequently asked questions and comprehensive help topics are available online as well.
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  7. Who should providers call if they have questions about Availity?

    Contact Availity Client Services toll free at 800-Availity (800-282-4548) or e-mail questions to support@availity.com.  Availity Client Services is available Monday through Friday, or 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central Time (excludes holidays).

    For other assistance:

    Availity Help
    In Availity, click Help at the top of the page.
    Browse the books and topics as necessary.

    Show Me Demos
    For animated demonstration of common functions on Availity, simply click Training and Resources on the home page, then click Show Me Demos. Click a blue triangle to launch a demo.

    Live and Pre-recorded Webinar Training
    Availity offers on-demand and live training conducted by phone and teleconferencing tools.  To see the schedule and register, click Free Training at the top of any page in the portal, then click Webinar Schedule. To enroll, click a webinar title and follow the instructions on the page that displays.

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  8. What are the technical requirements?

    All a provider needs to access Availity.com is:

    • A computer with Internet access. High speed is recommended for best results.
    • Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or greater, which supports 128-bit encryption.
    • A 1024 x 768 or greater pixel display for best results.
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