CommercialAdministrativeMedium impact
Reminder: Best Practices for 270/276 Eligibility and Claims Status Requests
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield·Provider News
We identified it
Jun 20, 2026
Summary
CareFirst has updated guidelines for 270 eligibility and 276 claims status requests, emphasizing HIPAA compliance and proper timing. Key changes include only submitting 270s for scheduled patients (not entire panels), waiting at least 20 seconds before resubmitting, and not submitting 276 requests for claims less than 7 days old.
Action Required
Immediately: Update billing workflow to only submit 270 eligibility requests for CareFirst patients with scheduled services, not entire patient panels. Include proper service type codes and wait 20 seconds before resubmitting. For 276 claims status requests, wait at least 7 days after claim submission and verify 837 submission confirmation first. Train billing staff on these timing requirements to avoid 'Not Found' responses.