Not so long ago, Cornerstone started processing Blue Cross billing payments directly from the clinic, on a trial basis. The goal was to engage with Blue Cross, which as an organization is still relatively new to billing for Naturopathic Services, to get a sense of the process and the implications of adopting it.
Starting August 16th, 2017, we’ll be wrapping up our trial basis and, based on both patient feedback and practicality, will be suspending direct billing payments with Blue Cross.
The feedback we’ve received is indicative of a few key considerations, including the delayed processing of reimbursement, issues with processing mediums, and the hours required to address them. Clarity with coverage has always been a concern for us, and we never want these discrepancies to pass along to our patients in the form of unexpected costs.
The good news is that Blue Cross offers a formidable submission process for patients directly. Often this process yields more coverage than if the clinic were to submit, and the mobile app on iOS and Android makes submission easier than ever. Simply take a photo of your invoice, and have payment sent directly to your bank account! Many of our patients sing the app’s praises, and suggest that payment and processing often requires less than 24 hours. For those patients who prefer not to use mobile apps, there are Blue Cross Quick Pay locations in Burnside and Scotia Square.
We’ll be doing our utmost during this transitional period to inform patients ahead of their scheduled appointments, and our Patient Care Coordinators are familiar with both the Blue Cross mobile app and Quick Pay locations, to lend their insight and aid in the process.
As always, we encourage you to contact us with any questions you may have.
