MANUALS, POLICIES & GUIDELINES

Manuals, Policies & Guidelines

Review the latest provider administration manuals, medical policies and guidelines to find information about how we deliver member benefits, how we determine medical necessity and other important decisions.

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Behavioral Health Levels of Care

We’re dedicated in offering specialized guidance to ensure members get the right care, at the right time.

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Clinical Practice Guidelines

BlueCross adopts and disseminates specific nationally recognized clinical practice guidelines for use by our network providers. The guidelines address acute and chronic medical services, and behavioral health services to assist Practitioners in making appropriate health care decisions for specific clinical circumstances. It’s our intent to make resources available to our providers that will help in this endeavor. BlueCross attests that the text and format of these compendia have not been altered in any way, and that these resources should not be construed as a legal or required standard of care.

More information can be found in the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Guide to Clinical Preventive Services. We hope this will be both convenient and helpful to you in caring for your patients. Paper copies of the guidelines are available upon request by calling (423) 535-6705(423) 535-6705.

Behavioral Health CPGs
Service Resource(s) Last Reviewed / Approved
ADHD (Pediatric) 2019 American Academy of Pediatrics  Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents (Last reviewed 8/2023)
Anxiety (Child & Adolescent) 2020 Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry  Clinical Practice Guideline for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Anxiety Disorders (Last reviewed 8/2023)
Autism (Pediatric) 2020 American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Practice Parameter for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Last reviewed 1/2023)
Eating Disorders (Pediatric) 2015 American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Practice Parameter for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Eating Disorders (Last reviewed 1/2023)
Eating Disorders (Supplemental Guideline for Adults) 2023 The American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Eating Disorders (Last reviewed 8/2023)
Depression 2022 Veteran’s Affairs/Department of Defense (VADoD) Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Major Depressive Disorder (Last reviewed 1/2023)
Depression (Child & Adolescent) 2022 Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Clinical Practice Guideline for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Major and Persistent Depressive Disorders (Last reviewed 8/2023)
Depression (supplemental guidelines to cover all ages) 2019 American Psychiatric Association  Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatments of Depression Across Three Age Cohorts (Last reviewed 8/2023)
Substance Abuse 2020 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) A Treatment Improvement Protocol: Substance Abuse Treatment and Family Therapy (Last reviewed 1/2023)
Substance Abuse Disorder (SUD) for Veterans 2021 Veteran’s Affairs/Department of Defense (VADoD) Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) (Last reviewed 8/2023)
Medical CPGs
Service Resource(s) Last Reviewed / Approved
Asthma 2007 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH) EPR-3 Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma (includes: 2008 edits to the 2007 guideline) Last reviewed 9/2023
Back Pain 2017 American College of Physicians (ACP) Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline Last reviewed 11/2023
Bright Futures™ (Pediatrics) 2017 Bright Futures™ Guidelines for Prevention and Health Promotion for Infants, Children, Adolescents, and their Families – Forth Edition (The 2017 Bright Futures™/American Academy of Pediatrics Periodicity Schedule Recommendations are listed on the home page menu) Last reviewed 11/2023
Cardiovascular Risk 2013 Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) Task Force on Practice Guidelines: Guideline on the Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk Last reviewed 9/2023
COPD 2018 Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease Global Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD); Report Last reviewed 9/2023
Cholesterol 2013 American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF)/American Heart Association (AHA); Guideline on the Treatment of Blood Cholesterol to Reduce Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Risk in Adults Last reviewed 9/2023
Diabetes 2023 American Diabetes Association®(ADA); Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes Last reviewed 9/2023
Heart Failure 2022 American College of Cardiology Foundation(ACCF)/American Heart Association (AHA); and Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA): Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure Last reviewed 11/2023
HTN 2014 Evidence-Based Guideline for the Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults Report From the Panel Members Appointed to the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC 8) Last reviewed 11/2023
Immunizations 2023 Center for Disease Control & Prevention; Recommended Immunization Schedules: For Healthcare Professionals: Child, Adolescent & Catch-up Last reviewed 9/2023
Obesity 2013 National Institute of Health; Managing Overweight and Obesity in Adults: Systematic Evidence Review from the Obesity Expert Panel Last reviewed 9/2023
Prenatal 2018 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Guidelines for Perinatal Care, Eighth Edition. Available for Purchase. Last reviewed 9/2023
Non ST-Elevated MI 2014 American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association (ACCF/AHA) Guideline for the Management of Patients With Non–ST-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes Last reviewed 11/2023
Rheumatoid Arthritis 2021 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (Last reviewed 1/2023)
ST-Elevated MI 2013 American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association (ACCF/AHA) Guideline for the Management of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction & 2015 ACC/AHA Focused Update & 2015 ACC/AHA/SCAI Focused Update on Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (Last reviewed 11/2023)
Stroke 2018 American Heart Association/American Stroke Association; Guideline for the Early Management of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Guideline for Healthcare Professionals Last reviewed 11/2023
USPSTF Guide to Clinical Preventative Services U.S. Preventive Services Task Force [USPSTF] Recommendations (Last reviewed 1/2023)

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