Education and Reference

Provider Manual

Texas Medicaid STAR, CHIP, and STAR Kids Provider Manual

Reference Guides

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) Medicaid Contact List for Providers

Medicaid (STAR) and CHIP Reference Guide

Cultural Competency Plan

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) ensures interpreter services are available. BCBSTX does not encourage use of family, friends or children to serve as interpreters due to the difficult words used for medical information. If you need assistance with interpreters. please contact Customer Service for assistance.

Providers have access to a BCBSTX Language line to be used for our members for phone interpreter services as well as video capabilities for language assistance include ASL video services. See our provider manual on the timeline for requesting face to face interpreters or for information on using our language line.

Request Interpreter Services by calling 1-866-256-7245.

NEW**Cultural Competency Provider Training via Brainshark

Providers who have completed other CMS/State-approved Cultural Competency Training may attest here

24 Hour Nurse Hotline

Members can call the 24 Hour Nurse Hotline to speak to a registered nurse. Nurses provide health information regarding illness and options for accessing care, including emergency services, if appropriate. The nurses at the Nurse Hotline have access to a telephone interpreter service for callers who do not speak English. All calls are confidential. Members can contact the 24 Hour Nurse Hotline for:

Assistance with self-care information (symptoms, medications and side effects, reliable self-care home treatments, etc.).
Information about more than 300 health topics through the Nurse Hotline audio tape library.
A specialized nurse who is trained to discuss health issues specific to our teenage members.

STAR and CHIP: 1-844-971-8906
STAR Kids: 1-855-802-4614

Electronically Prescribing Controlled Substances

The DEA allows and encourages the use of electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) as a modern technology to reduce medication errors and fraud by maintaining a closed system of controls on controlled substances. Despite its availability since 2010, and an over-all increase in electronic prescribing, very few Texas clinicians have adopted its use for controlled substances. While 85% of Texas pharmacies have technology in place to process EPCS, only 2.5% of Texas prescribers are EPCS enabled. This leaves Texas behind the 4.1% national average for prescriber readiness. Being that schedule II-V prescriptions account for 12% of all drug claims, Texas Medicaid supports the use of EPCS and the associated education of prescribers on EPCS utility.

To help prescribers get started in the practice setting, see the HHSC endorsed material:

Getting Started with Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances

LARC Toolkit

Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) is a highly effective contraceptive option with high rates of patient satisfaction and method continuation. Texas has made improving access to LARCs a priority.

The Texas LARC toolkit is aimed at helping providers to increase the availability of LARCs to all Texas women. The Toolkit offers suggestions and resources to support implementation of a policy to make LARCs available to women throughout the reproductive life cycle, including prior to the first pregnancy, during the postpartum period (both during the hospital stay and at the postpartum visit), and whenever family planning services are received.

View the LARC toolkit

HHSC LARC Policies