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[New York] Clinical Criteria updates

Anthem BCBS·NY · Allergy & Immunology, Dermatology, Endocrinology +9 more·Provider Bulletin
Effective date
Jul 23, 2026
We identified it
Jun 25, 2026
Days to comply
27 days

Summary

Anthem has revised clinical criteria for 24 medical drug benefit medications/agents and added 2 new criteria effective July 23, 2026. These changes update medical necessity requirements for specialty drugs including immunoglobulins, monoclonal antibodies, growth hormone, clotting agents, and other high-cost biologics. The practice must review updated criteria for any affected patient populations and ensure prior authorization compliance.

Action Required

Before Jul 23, 2026
By July 23, 2026: (1) Billing and clinical teams must access Anthem's Clinical Criteria page (https://providernews.anthem.com/new-york/articles/clinical-criteria-updates-30731) and review the specific updates for all 26 revised/new criteria (CC-0003, CC-0011, CC-0027, CC-0029, CC-0058, CC-0065, CC-0068, CC-0072, CC-0104, CC-0124, CC-0127, CC-0128, CC-0142, CC-0149, CC-0159, CC-0174, CC-0182, CC-0213, CC-0222, CC-0227, CC-0229, CC-0235, CC-0236, CC-0263, CC-0300, CC-0301). (2) Update all clinical documentation templates, encounter forms, and prior authorization submission procedures to reflect new medical necessity requirements for affected specialty drugs. (3) Notify all providers and clinical staff of changes and distribute the policy summary. (4) Verify billing system workflows align with any new authorization requirements (communicated separately by Anthem). (5) Train staff that these criteria apply ONLY to medical drug benefits, not pharmacy services. NOTE: This policy applies to New York Medicare Advantage members only; separate authorization requirement notices are expected from Anthem.