Past Issues

The CDC's National Immunization Program 2003 Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule features greater flexibility in scheduling and a new "catch up" schedule.

In fall 2002, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida conducted its third in a series of BlueNews Seminars for providers.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) finds insufficient evidence to recommend for or against routine dietary behavioral counseling in unselected patients in primary care settings.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida's HMO subsidiary, Health Options, congratulates the following physicians for their outstanding achievement in meeting the Key Aspects of Care for patients with diabetes in 2002.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) reported in December 2002 insufficient evidence to recommend for or against routine screening for prostate cancer using prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing or digital rectal examination (DRE), because the benefits of testing may not outweigh the harms.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida has eliminated routine requests for supporting medical information on PPO claims for certain services and supplies (See list below).

Primary care physicians and specialists ordering CT scans, MRIs/MRAs, PET scans and cardiovascular nuclear medicine procedures (myocardial imaging, myocardial profusion studies and cardiac blood pool imaging) must call National Imaging Associates (NIA) for authorization prior to scheduling such services for Health Options members.

Our BlueCare and Medicare & More HMO products require an office copay for diagnostic tests (excluding radiology and lab services) billed with an office location.

The Health Options Manual for Physicians and the Guide for Physicians (PPC, PPS and Advantage65) are now available on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida website.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield Federal Employee Program (FEP) members now have access to Blue Quality Centers for Transplant (BQCT) credentialed by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.