The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, Section 201, requires that a group health plan or insurer may not enter into an agreement with a health care provider, network or association of providers, Third Party Administrator (TPA), or other service provider offering access to a network of providers that would directly or indirectly restrict a group health plan or insurer from providing provider-specific cost or quality of care information or data, electronically accessing de-identified claims and encounter information or data for each enrollee or sharing that information or data with a business associate.
The insurer or health plan must submit an attestation (formal confirmation) of compliance, annually on Dec. 31, beginning with Dec. 31, 2023.
To ensure that Group Health Plans for which Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska (BCBSNE) provides TPA services comply with this requirement, BCBSNE:
will file the required Group Health Plan attestations on behalf of all Groups (at TIN level in BCBSNE system) prior to Dec. 31. 2025
will not attest to any services carved-out (e.g., Pharmacy Benefits), as it does not control the carved-out service contracts
If your plan has pharmacy services carved out, your BCBSNE account executive will reach out to confirm with you.
If a Group Health Plan prefers to file their own attestation, it must notify BCBSNE by Oct. 31, 2025, of its intention to do so, to prevent duplication.
Free flu shot clinics this fall
BCBSNE will host 18 no-cost community flu vaccination clinics Oct. 7 through Oct. 30 in collaboration with Hy-Vee Pharmacy and YMCAs across the state. Please pass this information along to your individual and group clients to encourage them to protect themselves and others from the flu.
