Products & ProgramsCommercialDecember 1, 2018

Timely access regulations and language assistance program

Blue Cross of California dba Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross Life & Health Insurance Company (collectively, "Anthem") are committed to keeping you, our network partners, updated on our activities related to our compliance with the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) and the California Department of Insurance (CDI) Timely Access to Non-Emergency Health Care Services Regulations (the "Timely Access Regulations"), respectively. Anthem maintains policies, procedures, and systems necessary to ensure compliance with the Timely Access Regulations, including access to non-emergency health care services within prescribed timeframes (also referred to as the "time elapsed standards" or "appointment wait times"). In addition, your agreement with Anthem requires your office to comply with the state law standards relative to appointment wait times. Anthem can only achieve this compliance with the help our provider network partners, you!

There are many activities that are conducted to support compliance with the regulations and we need you, as well as covered individuals, to help us attain the information that is needed. These studies allow our Plan to determine compliance with the regulations.

The activities include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Provider Appointment Availability Survey
  • Provider Satisfaction Survey
  • Provider After – Hours Survey

 

These surveys are currently in process, please reviews this information with your office staff so they are prepared and understand the importance of each providers’ participation in each of the surveys.


We appreciate that in certain circumstances time-elapsed requirements may not be met. The Timely Access Regulations have provided exceptions to the time-elapsed standards to address these situations:

Extending Appointment Wait Time: The applicable waiting time for a particular appointment may be extended if the referring or treating licensed health care provider, or the health professional providing triage or screening services, as applicable, acting within the scope of his or her practice and consistent with professionally recognized standards of practice, has determined and noted in the relevant record that a longer waiting time will not have a detrimental impact on the health of the patient.

Preventive Care Services and Periodic Follow-up Care: Preventive care services and periodic follow up care are not subject to the appointment availability standards. These services may be scheduled in advance consistent with professionally recognized standards of practice as determined by the treating licensed health care provider acting within the scope of his or her practice. Periodic follow-up care includes but is not limited to, standing referrals to specialists for chronic conditions, periodic office visits to monitor and treat pregnancy, cardiac or mental health conditions, and laboratory and radiological monitoring for recurrence of disease.

Advanced Access: The primary care appointment availability standard may be met if the primary care physician office provides “advanced access.” “Advanced access” means offering an appointment to a patient with a primary care physician (or nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant) within the same or next business day from the time an appointment is requested (or a later date if the patient prefers not to accept the appointment offered within the same or next business day).

We hope this clarifies Anthem’s expectations and your obligations regarding compliance with the Timely Access Regulations. Our goal is to work with our providers to successfully meet the expectations for the requirements with the least amount of difficulty and member abrasion.

To view the Standards for Medical Professionals click on the attachment. 

Members also have access to Anthem’s 24/7 NurseLine. The NurseLine wait time is not to exceed 30 minutes. The phone number is located on the back of the member ID card. In addition, Members and Providers have access to Anthem’s Customer Service team at the telephone number listed on the back of the member ID card. A representative may be reached within 10 minutes during normal business hours.

Please contact the Anthem Member Services team at the telephone number listed on the back of the member ID card to obtain assistance if a patient is unable to obtain a timely referral to an appropriate provider.

If you have further questions, please contact Network Relations at CAContractSupport@anthem.com.

 

For Patients (Members) with Department of Managed Health Care Regulated Health plans:

If you or your patients are unable to obtain a timely referral to an appropriate provider or for additional information about the regulations, visit the Department of Managed Health Care’s website at www.dmhc.ca.gov/HealthCareinCalifornia/YourHealthCareRights/TimelyAccesstoCare.aspx or call toll-free 1-888-466-2219 for assistance.

 

For Patients (Members) with California Department of Insurance Regulated Health plans:

If you or your patients are unable to obtain a timely referral to an appropriate provider or for additional information about the regulations, visit the Department of Insurance’s website at www.insurance.ca.gov or call toll-free 1-800-927-4357 for assistance.

 

Language Assistance Program

For members whose primary language isn’t English, Anthem offers free language assistance services through interpreters and other written languages. If you or the member is interested in these services, please call the Anthem Member Services number on the member’s ID card for help (TTY/TDD: 711).