PsychBiller, LLC

FREE Billing Tips!

BlueCross BlueShield Federal Employee Program in
Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia

The BlueCross BlueShield Service Benefit Plan for federal employees and retirees is a national plan administered by local BCBS plans across the country.  BCBS FEP patients are easily identified by the ID number on their insurance card, which is the letter “R” followed by 8 digits.

The outpatient psychotherapy copayment is based upon the group number on the patient’s insurance card:

104 - Standard Option individual coverage $15.00
105 - Standard Option family coverage $15.00

111 - Basic Option individual coverage $20.00
112 - Basic Option family coverage $20.00

Standard Option patients have 8 unmanaged visits each calendar year (shared among all providers).  Basic Option patients must personally call for preauthorization before their first appointment; they do not need a referral from their Primary Care Physician (PCP).

Complete descriptions of BCBS FEP benefits are available at their dedicated Web site, http://www.fepblue.org

TIP: Patients are allowed up to two hours of psychotherapy per day, but only one copayment per day may be charged.  If two CPT codes are rendered on the same day, only one will have a copayment.

In Virginia, FEP claims are handled by two plans: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia and CareFirst BlueCross Blue Shield of the National Capital Area.  Care is managed by and claims are filed to the plan whose service area includes your office address.

  • Offices south and/or west of Route 123 are in the Anthem service area.
  • Offices east and/or north of Route 123 are in the CareFirst service area.
  • The City of Fairfax and Town of Vienna, in their entirety, are part of the CareFirst service area, even if your office is south or west of Route 123 within the city or town limits.

If there is any doubt about whether your office is located in the Anthem service area or the CareFirst service area, call Provider Services at both plans and give them your office nine-digit Zip Code.  They should give you the same answer.

The patient’s home address or the BlueCross BlueShield plan that issued their insurance card is immaterial.


If your office is in the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield service area:

  • Care is managed in-house by Anthem Behavioral Health at (800) 991-6045.
  • To request authorization for sessions beyond the eight unmanaged outpatient visits allowed per calendar year, fax the Anthem FEP Authorization Request/Treatment Plan form to (800) 876-6310.
  • Authorization letters print the authorization number on the front of the page, and the number of visits, starting date, and ending date on the back of the page. Please fax both sides of the authorization letter to PsychBiller, LLC at (703) 991-9118.

If your office is in the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield service area:

  • Care is managed by Magellan Behavioral Health at (800) 359-6671 option 3.  You do not have to be a Magellan provider.
  • To request authorization for sessions beyond the eight unmanaged outpatient visits allowed per calendar year, fax the Magellan Maryland Uniform Treatment Plan Form to (800) 365-5030.
  • Authorizations don’t overlap.  The previous authorization is closed one day prior to the starting date of the new authorization.
  • Authorization letters include the authorization number, number of visits authorized per CPT code, starting date, and ending date.
  • The authorization letter is accompanied by a Magellan Treatment Request Form (TRF) pre-populated with the patient’s first name, ID number, and case number.  Each new authorization increments the last digit(s) of the case number.
  • Request additional sessions by faxing the TRF to Magellan at (800) 365-5030.  The form is scanned, so use black ink and keep your marks inside the circles, just like taking a standardized test.
  • Better yet, request additional sessions online at https://www.magellanprovider.com/MagellanProvider/do/trf/authEntry.  You don’t need a user ID or password.  Enter the case number without the dash from the TRF instead of the authorization number on the letter.  For example, if the case number is 00ABCD-000, enter 00ABCD000 as the authorization number.  You will also need your Magellan MIS number, which is printed on the authorization letter in the upper right corner.
  • Please fax both the authorization letter and the blank TRF to PsychBiller, LLC at (703) 991-9118.

TIP: If Magellan authorizes more than one CPT code, multiple authorizations are downloaded into CareFirst’s system, but without CPT codes.  This means you can use all authorized visits without reallocating CPT codes.  Here’s how to do it:

Let’s say that Magellan authorized 6 90806, 3 90846, and 3 90847.  The last CPT code and number of visits listed on the Magellan authorization is associated with the authorization number in CareFirst’s system.  CareFirst sees Magellan’s authorization 123405678J as 3 visits (the 3 90847s).  To get the CareFirst authorization number for the 3 90846, subtract one from the Magellan authorization number: 123405678J becomes 123405677J.  Subtract one more to get the CareFirst authorization number for the 6 90806: 123405677J becomes 123405676J.

Now start submitting claims using the smallest authorization number, 123405676J.  When that’s used up, move on to 123405677J, and so on!