Products & ProgramsCommercialMedicare AdvantageMarch 1, 2023

Consumer payment option, Pay Doctor Bill, to terminate effective March 31, 2023

Beginning January 1, 2024, Empire became Anthem. This article, published under the former brand, now applies to Anthem.

This communication applies to Commercial and Medicare Advantage plans from Empire BlueCross BlueShield (Empire).

The provider payment option, Pay Doctor Bill, offered to consumers via InstaMed,* will be terminated effective March 31, 2023. Empire contracted with InstaMed to deliver options for consumers to view their claims and pay their out-of-pocket responsibility to doctors from the Sydney Health mobile app or from https://www.anthem.com/provider. This is not related to the payment of health insurance premiums.

Even though this option will no longer be available, consumers still have other ways of paying doctors:

  • Through a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) if they have this type of account
  • Through their bank’s bill pay feature on a mobile app or website
  • Directly through doctor’s secure payment website or at the doctor’s office with a debit or credit card

A month prior to the termination of Pay Doctor Bill from the Sydney Health mobile app and the Empire website, we will notify consumers within these applications.

* InstaMed is an independent company providing consumers with access to provider payment options on behalf of the health plan.

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PUBLICATIONS: March 2023 Empire Provider News