Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield will begin charging administrative fees to contracted providers who continue to submit paper claims or receive paper checks.

Effective Dates

• October 1, 2026: Medicare Advantage providers
• November 1, 2026: Commercial providers

New Administrative Fees Anthem will assess a $5 fee for:

• Each paper claim with a net paid amount of $10 or more
• Each paper check issued for $10 or more

The fee will appear as a separate line item on the remittance advice and will not affect claim payments, interest, or patient cost-sharing amounts.

Important Notes

• Providers may not bill patients for these fees.
• The policy does not apply to the Federal Employee Program (FEP).

How to Avoid the Fees

Providers are encouraged to:

• Submit claims electronically through platforms such as Availity Essentials.
• Enroll in Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and Electronic Remittance Advice (ERA).

Electronic transactions can help reduce administrative costs, speed payment processing, and eliminate paper-related fees.

Providers can find more information and enroll in electronic services through:

• Anthem Provider Resources
• https://availity.com
• EnrollSafe EFT Enrollment

Michele Krpata, BSW, CPC, CPMA

Compliance Officer, Quality Reporting Analyst