Paying medical bills can be a headache. Mailing paper checks, keeping track of due dates, and deciphering confusing statements are hassles no one wants to deal with. That’s why BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) offers a convenient online bill pay system for members.
BCBST’s online bill pay allows you to view bills, make payments, set up recurring payments, and more – all through a simple online portal. Read on to learn how to use BCBST’s online system to easily manage and pay your medical bills.
Who Can Use BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee’s Online Bill Pay?
The BCBST online bill pay system is available to
- Members with individual and family plans purchased through BCBST directly
- Members with employer-sponsored group plans through BCBST
As long as you have an active health plan with BCBST, you can use the online bill pay system
Some exceptions are members with marketplace plans, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, or CHIP plans. Those programs handle billing independently.
How to Access BCBST’s Online Bill Pay System
To start paying bills online, you need to have a BCBST online member account.
Here are simple steps to set up your account:
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Go to BCBST’s website and click “Log In”
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Choose “Member” as your account type
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Click “Register Now” if you don’t have an account
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Provide some basic information like name, date of birth, member ID, etc.
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Create a unique username and password
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Agree to the terms of use
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Verify your email address
Once your BCBST member account is set up, you can start using the convenient online bill pay system.
View and Organize Your Bills
When you log into your BCBST account, you’ll see a Bills section. Here you can:
- View current bills due
- See bill history
- Sort bills by family member
- Filter bills by date range, status, etc.
Review your bills and get organized before making payments.
Understand Your Bills and Statements
Medical bills can be confusing, with codes, technical terms, and details you may not grasp. BCBST provides resources to understand your statements:
- Hover over terms or codes for definitions
- Click “Help me understand” for plain language explanations
- View statements broken down by service, coverage, your responsibility, etc.
- See remaining deductible amounts, copays, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket costs
Use these tools to get clarity on what you owe and why.
Make One-Time Payments
When you’re ready to pay a bill, click the “Pay now” button. You can make one-time payments directly from your bank account or with a debit/credit card.
BCBST accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express cards for bill payments.
You’ll see a confirmation page after paying and the bill status will update to “Paid” shortly after.
Set Up Recurring Payments
If you have ongoing costs like premiums or predictable copays, you can set up automatic recurring payments in your BCBST account.
On the Make Payment page, toggle the “Make this a recurring payment” switch. Choose the frequency – monthly, quarterly, etc. The payments will automatically deduct on the due date going forward.
Recuring payments save time and ensure you never miss a payment deadline.
Pay Multiple Bills at Once
Rather than paying each bill individually, you can select multiple bills and pay the total amount at once.
On the Bills page, check the boxes for all the bills you want to pay. Then click “Pay Selected Bills” to pay the combined amount.
Batch paying bills is an easy way to take care of multiple outstanding balances at the same time.
Set Up Email Bill Reminders
To avoid late fees and keep on top of due dates, turn on email bill reminders in your account settings. You’ll get automatic emails when you have a bill coming due.
Bill reminders give you peace of mind that you won’t forget a payment.
Monitor Payment History
Your BCBST account keeps detailed records of your payment history, which you can review anytime.
The Bills page shows:
- All paid, pending, and open bills
- Payment amounts and dates
- The payer (you or your employer)
- Payment methods used
Easily look up your payment records and print statements for your files.
Avoid Late Fees and Coverage Lapse
Paying late can lead to penalties, so the online bill system helps you stay on track. BCBST will not charge late fees as long as you pay within your grace period.
However, if premium bills go unpaid for too long, your health coverage could be cancelled. Make sure to pay any premium statements on time to keep your plan active.
Get Support for Bill Pay Issues
If you have any trouble using the online bill pay system, BCBST’s customer support can help. Contact them by:
- Calling the number on the back of your member ID card
- Logging into your account and using the chat feature
- Emailing support requests to the address in your account
The customer service team can answer questions, reset passwords, update payment methods, and troubleshoot any bill pay problems.
Pay Medical Bills the Easy Way with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
No one wants the hassle of tracking, organizing, and paying medical bills. BCBST’s online bill pay system offers a streamlined way for members to manage their healthcare costs.
By viewing your balance, setting payment reminders, making one-time or recurring payments, and monitoring history, you can stay effortlessly on top of your medical bills. Pay the easy way with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee’s online bill system.
We’re making it more convenient for members to pay their medical bills online
During the COVID-19 pandemic, convenience in our daily lives is more important than ever, whether grocery shopping, working from home, or scheduling appointments with a medical provider.
BlueCross has already eased access to telehealth capabilities, allowing members to see a doctor from the comfort of their own home. Now we’ve embraced another way to make our members’ lives easier.
As of April 30, we’ve made it possible for many members to pay Tennessee-based providers directly from their BlueAccess claims page on bcbst.com. This includes members who get coverage at work or have an Individual/Marketplace policy.
Convenience and security in one location
This new option makes it possible to pay your medical bills from within our site instead of keeping up with paper statements or using payment portals specific to individual providers. This can be frustrating if you’re making multiple monthly payments across multiple platforms that require multiple passwords.
During these challenging times, especially, lessening every bit of frustration helps.
“To take more things off our members’ plates, we’ve created a one-stop experience by giving them one place to manage all their provider payments, at no cost to them,” says Jack Khera, BlueCross director of digital experience. “We’ve all gone looking for a stamp at some point only to realize we’re out, or have struggled to remember a specific password when trying to settle a bill with a hospital or specialist.”
If you’re a BlueCross member with Bill Pay access, you can make payments using a credit card or debit card, or via electronic transfers from a checking, savings or health savings account.
If you receive an email that a claim has processed, follow these steps:
- Log into BlueAccess and click on your Claims page
- Select “Pay Provider” to see options for “Mark bill as paid” (if it was taken care of at the provider’s office), “View claim summary” or “View all payments.”
- Enters your payment information and select from the payment types available for the provider.
Currently, a provider may accept all or some of these payment types, and we’re working closely with our network provider partners to help them accept all forms of payment.
Our payment platform is set up through InstaMed, a secure third-party site that specializes in provider transactions and maintains all payment records and member payment types and preferences.
How to get started
FAQ
How to pay blue cross blue shield in Tennessee?
Is BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee the same as Blue Cross Blue Shield?
How to cancel blue cross blue shield tn?
How do I pay Bcbsnc?
How do I pay my BlueCross Bill?
If you’re a BlueCross member with Bill Pay access, you can make payments using a credit card or debit card, or via electronic transfers from a checking, savings or health savings account. If you receive an email that a claim has processed, follow these steps:
How do I Find my Blue Cross Blue Shield provider?
Your member ID card is the fastest way to find your provider. Just type in the first three characters of your ID number. Then, select “Go.” We’ll immediately redirect you to your provider, where you can access your BCBS login. Don’t have your card handy? That’s OK. We can use your zip code to look up your local Blue Cross Blue Shield provider.
How do I access my BCBS benefits and services?
There, you can log in to access your member benefits and services. Your member ID card is the fastest way to find your provider. Just type in the first three characters of your ID number. Then, select “Go.” We’ll immediately redirect you to your provider, where you can access your BCBS login. Don’t have your card handy? That’s OK.
Can I pay a blueaccess provider directly from my BCBST claim page?
Now we’ve embraced another way to make our members’ lives easier. As of April 30, we’ve made it possible for many members to pay Tennessee-based providers directly from their BlueAccess claims page on bcbst.com. This includes members who get coverage at work or have an Individual/Marketplace policy.