How To Submit Claims To Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Tennessee

For Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Tennessee, the practical claims workflow usually starts with electronic submission guidance and only falls back to paper instructions when the payer documents a mailing address for specific claim types or exceptions. The details below keep the workflow broad instead of reducing it to a single address.

At a glance

• BCBST supports electronic claims submission and claim status checking through Availity, with paper claims used only in limited circumstances such as technical difficulties or other exceptions noted in the manual. The provider manual states electronic claims are the required method and must include the appropriate provider number and/or NPI. Corrected claims should be submitted using the proper replacement/void indicators or the original reference number, depending on form and method.

Submission channels

• Availity / electronic claims (ANSI 837)
• Paper claims when permitted by technical difficulty or other exception
• Clearinghouse / billing service electronic submission

Electronic claims payer IDs

• Not clearly published in the researched sources.

Paper claims addresses

• Not clearly published in the researched sources.

Corrected claims and follow-up

• Use claim frequency/type-of-bill indicators for replacement or void/cancel as applicable.

• For CMS-1500, write qualifier '7' for replacement or '8' for void/cancel in block 22.

• For corrected claims submitted as a new claim, include the original claim number in Original Ref. No. field FL64.

• For CMS-1450, use the appropriate bill type to identify the claim as corrected.

• Maintain the returned claim/error copy or electronic receipt as proof of timely filing.

• Claims status resource 1

• Claims status resource 2

Caveats

• The payer ID and mailing addresses were not reliably exposed in the retrieved official sources, so they are left empty.
• Claim submission rules vary by line of business; BlueCare Tennessee and commercial rules are not identical.
• The manual says paper claims are only accepted when technical difficulties or certain exceptions apply.

Provider resources

• Manuals, Policies & Guidelines (official)
• Health Care Providers / Authorizations & Appeals (official)
• Coverage & Claims (official)
• Provider Contact Us (official)
• BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Provider Administration Manual (official)
• BlueCare Tennessee Provider Administration Manual (official)
• Claim Summary (official)
• Documents and Forms (official)

Sources