Government Programs: 835 Electronic Remittance Advice (835 ERA) Update

Oct. 06, 2017

This notice applies to government programs providers servicing the following Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana (BCBSMT) members: 

  • Blue Cross Medicare AdvantageSM*
  • HELP Plan 

*Including the product types of HMO, PPO, HMO-POS and HMO-SNP (if applicable).  

This is an update to a Feb. 2017 announcement, which advised that missing ERA files could not be reloaded for claims submitted for members enrolled in any of the above-referenced Medicare Advantage and BCBSMT Medicaid plans. Therefore, impacted providers were instructed to refer to the paper Provider Claim Summary (PCS) sent by regular mail for remittance information on government programs claims.  

Effective Nov. 30, 2017, government programs providers enrolled to receive the 835 ERA from BCBSMT may request redelivery of missing ERA files, to their designated receivers, issued since Jan. 1, 2017. Please note that ERA files originally issued prior to Jan. 1, 2017 cannot be reloaded. To request redelivery of ERAs for government programs claims, you may contact Provider Customer Service at the number on the member’s ID card. Paper PCSs will continue to be mailed for providers who are not enrolled for ERA.  

Not enrolled for ERA? Providers may enroll online for ERA and also make any necessary set-up changes through the Availity™ Web portal at no cost. The online enrollment process can be completed in near real-time. Providers will receive a confirmation letter acknowledging the enrollment effective date and related information. To register for Availity, visit their website at availity.com and complete the online application today.  

For more information on 835 ERA enrollment and related topics, visit the Claims and Eligibility/Claim Payment and Remittance section of our Provider website.  

Availity is a trademark of Availity, LLC, a separate company that operates a health information network to provide electronic information exchange services to medical professionals. Availity provides administrative services to BCBSMT. BCBSMT makes no endorsement, representations or warranties regarding any products or services offered by third party vendors such as Availity. If you have any questions about the products or services offered by such vendors, you should contact the vendor(s) directly.