Providers can upload some medical records through Availity Essentials, starting Sept. 16

Starting Sept. 16, 2023, health care providers will be able to upload requested medical records through Availity^® Essentials for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan commercial members when requested through the Medical Record Request Form.

Here’s why we’re encouraging providers to upload the records into the Availity Essentials portal:

• It’s more secure than fax or paper submissions that include personal health information.
• It addresses the limitations of faxing medical records.
• It reduces manual effort.

Providers will only need to upload the medical records when Blue Cross requests them through the Medical Record Request Form to help us adjudicate claims or decide on an appeal.

We’ll continue to accept paper and fax submissions.

How to upload the records

To submit the medical records on Availity Essentials:

• Log in to our provider portal (availity.com).**
• On the Claims & Payments menu, click on Claim Status and follow the prompts to locate the claim for which you want to submit attachments.
• On the claim, click on Send Attachments.
• Select a reason code.
• Upload the attachments.
• Submit.

Training

There will be two training sessions to demonstrate how to load records into Availity Essentials. Watch for a provider alert that will contain the registration links for the following training sessions:

• 10 to 11 a.m. Eastern time Sept. 19
• 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern time Sept. 21

Stay tuned for more information

Our expanded use of Availity Essentials will be implemented in phases. We’ll continue to communicate changes through future Record articles.

Availity^® is an independent company that contracts with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network to offer provider portal and electronic data interchange services.

**Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan doesn’t own or control this website.