Reminder: Providers must submit authorization requests to TurningPoint for musculoskeletal surgical procedures for certain members

As we reported in the May issue  of The Record, you need to submit authorization requests for all surgical procedures related to musculoskeletal conditions to TurningPoint, starting June 1, for dates of service on or after July 1. (The original launch date of June 1 had moved to July 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Some important reminders:

• This is effective for BCN commercial, BCN Advantage^SM and Medicare Plus Blue^SM members.
• Facilities should have an authorization number before scheduling surgery. The ordering physician or provider office must secure the authorization and provide the authorization number to the facility.
• For inpatient professional claims, make sure to include only the procedure codes authorized for musculoskeletal procedures on your claim.
• TurningPoint began accepting submitted authorization requests on June 1.

We’ll continue to offer webinar training for providers and facilities. Use the links below to register for webinars:

• Training for professional providers
• Training for facility providers
• Portal training (professional providers only)

Where to find more information
For more information about TurningPoint, see the ereferrals webpages for Blue Care Network and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

You can find procedure codes for orthopedic and spinal procedures managed by TurningPoint on ereferrals.bcbsm.com. Here are the links:

• Orthopedic
• Spinal

You can also refer to the Frequently asked questions document on our ereferrals.bcbsm.com website.