Medicare AdvantageAdministrativeHigh impact
[Virginia] Take action: Use no-cost electronic claims and payments to avoid paper administrative fees
Anthem BCBS·VA·Provider Bulletin
Effective date
Oct 1, 2026
We identified it
Aug 2, 2026
Summary
Effective October 1, 2026, Anthem Medicare Advantage will impose a $5 administrative fee on each paper-submitted claim (if net paid amount ≥$10) and each printed paper check (if total paid amount ≥$10). Providers must submit claims electronically and enroll in EFT or another electronic payment method to avoid these fees.
Action Required
By September 30, 2026: Billing team must transition all Anthem Medicare Advantage claims to electronic submission via Availity Essentials and enroll in EFT through EnrollSafe (enrollsafe.payeehub.org). Register for free Availity Essentials access at https://Availity.com if not already registered; contact Availity Client Services at 800-AVAILITY for support. Enroll in EFT via EnrollSafe or call 877-882-0384 for guidance. Update internal billing workflows and staff training to eliminate paper claim submissions and paper check acceptance. Failure to transition to electronic claims and payments will result in $5 per-claim and per-check administrative fees assessed to the provider, reducing net reimbursement. Verify all Anthem Medicare Advantage claims are routed electronically in billing software before the October 1, 2026 effective date.