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CBH Practitioner Conection
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The right help at the right time!Insurance Identification CardsCIGNA Behavioral Health (CBH) does not produce insurance Identification (ID) cards but may provide input to the participant’s medical payer regarding card information. The ID card provides a wealth of information about participants and their benefits. It is recommended that practitioners copy the card, front and back, and keep in the participant’s file for their records. It is recommended this be done annually, as plan offerings and subscriber benefit elections may change from time to time. Cards are typically issued annually, on either a calendar or contract year basis. “Calendar year” benefit plans begin on January 1st and typically extend through December 31st of a given year. “Contract year” plans can begin at any time and typically span a 12-month period. For example, a contract year plan effective on April 1st would typically end on March 31st of the following year. The practitioner should be aware of the effective coverage date, as that will be the date from which benefits are tallied if the participant has yearly benefit limits. Please note that some participants may have yearly and/or lifetime benefit limits which may be accrued by visits or dollars, depending on the plan and/or the options the participant has selected—the card should provide that information. The contact information for CBH or other behavioral care organizations is typically found on the back of the ID card and usually referenced as “MH/SA” (“mental health/substance abuse”.) Most cards have an address indicating where claims should be sent (please note that frequently this is the address of the medical payer). Please check the ID card carefully. If a behavioral address is not listed, call the CBH or behavioral 800-number provided; a service representative can give you the claims mailing address. It is recommended that practitioners review this information yearly in case there is a change. It is important to mail the claim to the correct address. Mailing to the correct address means you may receive reimbursement more quickly. It also decreases the chances the claim will go ‘astray’ if it is mailed and/or transferred between carriers. The front of the ID card provides a wealth of useful information such as the type of insurance the member has (HMO, PPO, EPO, etc.), the coverage effective date, the member’s ID number (most insurers now use an Alternative Member Identification [AMI] number to identify the participant), and the participant name. Many cards have a section for copayments and/or coinsurance. These tell the practitioner, at a glance, what the copayment/coinsurance should be. Below is a sample of one of the CIGNA HealthCare cards.
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