Medicare Plus Blue expands membership migration from IkaSystems to NASCO in 2025

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan will continue the transition of its Medicare Plus Blue℠ electronic membership files from ikaSystems to the NASCO operating system. This is an important step in enhancing our service delivery and ensuring a seamless claims handling process.

Members will receive new ID numbers that must be used in claims submission as part of this process.

Timeline and implementation

Last year, we began updating our internal processes in preparation for moving our Medicare Plus Blue membership to the NASCO operating system. We’ve already started processing groups new to Medicare Plus Blue in 2024 on the NASCO platform.

• In January 2025, we’ll move our Medicare Plus Blue individual and national Michigan group membership from ikaSystems to the NASCO system.
• In 2026, we plan to transition our key and large group membership to NASCO to ensure continuity and efficiency.

Changes to the provider vouchers

As outlined in the sample in the December 2023 issue of The Record, the Medicare Plus Blue voucher looks similar to the Blue Cross commercial voucher but has undergone the following changes to improve clarity and accuracy:

• A new field indicates the provider network.
• Additional columns identify the tax ID and electronic funds transfer dates.
• Adjustments such as sequestration and withhold amounts appear in the remittance advice section.
• Diagnosis-related group claims for acute inpatient or rehabilitation services are listed on a single line in the remittance.

Outpatient claims will continue to be listed on the claim line level.

See sample below.

Member ID cards update

The format of member ID cards will also be revised to include:

• An alphanumeric prefix
• A deidentified ID number
• A nine-digit group number for easier identification and processing

Individual Medicare Plus Blue PPO card with Medicare Rx

National Michigan Group Medicare Plus Blue PPO card with Medicare Rx

Beginning Jan. 1, 2025:

• If a migrated member doesn’t share their new ID card with their provider, the membership system at Blue Cross will cross-reference the old number to the new information.
• If the provider enters the old enrollee number in the membership system, the new number will replace the old number in the system response.
• If the provider submits a claim with the old number into the claims system, it will be rejected. The provider needs to resubmit the claim with the new enrollee number.

Further information

Please refer to the October 2023 issue of The Record for additional details on the changes to the check and EFT number series to prepare adequately for these updates.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we enhance our systems to serve you better.