This article is for providers caring for our Medicare Advantage members
In our continued effort to help members receive important preventive screenings, we’re mailing in-home testing options to eligible Medicare Advantage members.
In-home screening kits for A1c or kidney health for members with diabetes
We’re partnering with Quest®', an independent company, to deliver self-collection A1c and kidney health screening kits at no cost to our Medicare Advantage members who haven’t had these screenings (based on our claims data as of September 2024). The kidney health kit supports the Kidney Health Evaluation for Patients With Diabetes (KED) HEDIS measure, which asseses whether patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes have received an annual kidney health evaluation, including a blood test for kidney function (eGFR) and a urine test for kidney damage (uACR).
- In mid-November, we mailed letters to notify eligible members with diabetes that they will receive test kits for A1c, KED, or both, in early December.
- The kits have everything recipients need to complete these tests at home and mail them back to Quest by December 31, 2024.
- Quest will mail results to members about three weeks after the kit has been received for processing. Members can access their results on Quest’s portal, my.questforhealth.com within 3-5 days. Quest will also mail the results to the member’s primary care provider (PCP) if there is one listed in Blue Cross’ system.
- If a member’s test results are found to be substantially outside of the normal range, Blue Cross’ care management team will call both the member and their PCP to inform them.
- We’ve advised members to discuss test results and other screenings they may need with their PCP.
- Quest will submit claims to Blue Cross for completed tests, including a CPT II code to capture the A1c result. There will be no cost to the member for these claims submitted through the Quest program.
Blood pressure monitors
As you know, a controlled blood pressure helps reduce the risk of serious health conditions such as stroke and heart disease. This is why we’re sending CVS HealthTM Series 100 Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitors at no cost to our Medicare Advantage members who have a medical claim on file with a hypertension diagnosis within the last year.
- In mid-November, we mailed eligible members a monitor along with a letter explaining the importance of measuring blood pressure. There is no cost to the member for these monitors.
- We’ve encouraged members to share results with their PCP whether it’s through telehealth, in-person, or on their patient portal.
- For best practices that you can share with your patients, information about the HEDIS measure, and CPT II billing guidelines, read our Provider Central news article: Help your patients control their blood pressure.
Helping to close gaps in care
These are just a few ways that we’re helping members manage their health conveniently and from the comfort of their home. Our recent offerings also include colorectal cancer screening kits and retinal eye exams. We will continue to let you know of future outreaches to our members.
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