MedicaidAdministrativeMedium impact
[California] Manage physical health P2P conversations online — mid‑June
Anthem BCBS·CA·Provider Bulletin
Effective date
Jul 15, 2026
We identified it
May 27, 2026
Summary
Anthem Blue Cross California is launching an online Peer-to-Peer (P2P) scheduling enhancement on the Availity Essentials platform, allowing providers to schedule and cancel P2P conversations electronically 24/7 for physical health and behavioral health services. This replaces the current phone/email submission process and is designed to reduce administrative burden and improve scheduling efficiency.
Action Required
By mid-July 2026: Billing and authorization staff must transition P2P scheduling to the new online Availity Essentials platform for physical health and behavioral health services. Front desk and authorization teams should familiarize themselves with the new scheduling interface at https://Availity.com. Continue submitting pharmacy P2P requests using the existing phone/email process. No system changes required for billing workflows, but staff should be trained on the new P2P scheduling method to take advantage of 24/7 self-service capability and reduce call volume to Anthem. Contact Availity Chat with Payer (available during business hours) or Anthem's provider line for support during transition.