Urgent Message - Availity Essentials Provider Portal Authorization Referral Dashboard Downtime

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) is informing our provider community of an upcoming Availity Essentials scheduled downtime relating to the provider portal authorization/referral dashboard. This will impact our Commercial, Federal Employee Program (FEP) and Medicaid Expansion lines of business.

What will be impacted

This will only impact the authorization/referral Availity real-time dashboard status updates. This downtime will cause intermittent issues between July 20 through July 25. This will not impact the submission of the authorization/referral process, please continue to submit electronically through Availity. Providers will need to refer to your authorization/referral resolutions faxes for real-time communications. Faxes will continue as normal. Availity’s expected resolution is July 26.

Denial status faxes will continue, but will not have the rational of the denial within the fax, providers will need to wait for the mailed letter or contact the Provider Service Center for denial resolution details.

Thank you for your understanding.

Questions?
Contact our Provider Service Centers:

  • Commercial: 800-368-2312
  • FEP: 800-548-4026
  • Medicaid Expansion: 833-777-5779