Medicare AdvantageAdministrativeMedium impact
Carelon Hours of Operation change
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island·RI·Physician / Facility
Effective date
May 1, 2026
We identified it
Jun 19, 2026
Summary
Carelon is expanding operations to include weekends starting May 1, 2026, providing seven days per week clinical review and authorization services for Medicare members. Weekend hours will be Saturday 9 AM-3 PM and Sunday 9 AM-12 PM Central Time, allowing for faster processing of prior authorizations and peer-to-peer consultations.
Action Required
By May 1, 2026: Update staff training materials and patient communication processes to reflect Carelon's expanded weekend availability for Medicare authorization requests. Inform clinical staff that peer-to-peer consultations and prior authorization reviews can now be conducted on weekends. No immediate system changes required, but consider adjusting weekend workflow processes to take advantage of faster authorization turnaround times.