PEEHIP Card Conversion

9 September 2004 -- The new Federal privacy guidelines for all health plans required transitioning to non-Social Security Numbers for each participant's contract number. In the process of making this transition this past weekend for the PEEHIP, Blue Cross encountered a significant "slowing" in this process due to the extremely large number of members in the PEEHIP group. This problem occurred only in the drug claims processor.

Even though the ID card conversion process was being carefully monitored with every effort being made to make the process run as efficiently and quickly as possible, many PEEHIP members still encountered problems with getting their prescriptions filled this weekend because the conversion process was not entirely completed by Monday. Although the situation has improved since Monday, Blue Cross believes the problem will be completely rectified no later than Thursday, September 9th when all contract numbers will be changed and the transition process entirely completed.

If there are other problems such as a wrong date of birth on a member or a dependent or a problem such as a dependent not being in the system, these are separate issues unrelated to the conversion process, and these problems should be addressed to Blue Cross or the PEEHIP office.

All participating pharmacies have been notified of the ID card conversion problem, and they have been asked to assist the PEEHIP members who have been affected. The participating pharmacies should refile the prescription claim with Blue Cross and only charge the member the applicable copayment. This problem did not occur in the hospital/medical claims processor so there should be no concerns with hospital medical claims.

We regret any inconvenience and confusion this may have caused. Members should be receiving their new ID cards within 10-14 days.

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