Update to Prior Authorization Codes for Medicaid Members, Effective April 1, 2024

Updated 02/26/2024 Posted 02/06/2024

Note: Additional change for Hormone Therapy Agents

What’s Changing: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas is changing prior authorization requirements for Medicaid members to reflect new, replaced or removed codes due to updates from Utilization Management prior authorization assessment, Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) code changes released by the American Medical Association (AMA) or Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) changes from the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services. A summary of changes is included below.

Medicaid: Refer to Prior Authorization Lists and Reports on the Utilization Management section of our Medicaid provider website.

Changes effective April 1, 2024 include the following codes reviewed by eviCore healthcare:

Addition of lab codes
Addition of Hormone Therapy Agents to be reviewed by BCBSTX

Check Eligibility and Benefits: To identify if a service requires prior authorization for our members, check eligibility and benefits through Availity^® or your preferred vendor.

Avoid post-service medical necessity reviews and delays in claim processing by obtaining prior authorization before rendering services. If prior authorization is required, services performed without prior authorization or that do not meet medical necessity criteria may be denied for payment and the rendering provider may not seek reimbursement from the member.

Availity is a trademark of Availity, L.L.C., a separate company that operates a health information network to provide electronic information exchange services to medical professionals. Availity provides administrative services to BCBSTX.

eviCore healthcare (eviCore) is an independent specialty medical benefits management company that provides utilization management services for BCBSTX.

BCBSTX makes no endorsement, representations or warranties regarding any products or services provided by third party vendors.