Coming soon: Final transition to Availity Essentials™ provider portal
We’re preparing for our final move to the Availity Essentials™ platform (AZ Blue provider portal will then be closed). Be sure your teams are ready for this early 2026 change:
Create user accounts for your clinical and administrative support team members.
To register for an Availity Essentials portal account, visit availity.com/azblue. For help with registration or user accounts, please contact the Availity Client Service team at 800-282-4548. For more information about this transition, see our provider FAQs.
Drug fee updates: The January 1 updates are available to preview. Get the details.
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Procedure code H0004 (Behavioral Health Counseling and Treatment per 15 min): Effective for commercial and FEP claims with service dates on or after January 1, the limit for a single date of service will change from 50 units to 32 units.
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Included Services: Effective for dates of service on or after February 1, 2026, several codes will be added to the Included Services Code List. See the list of codes to be added.
New Provider Information Change Form: We have updated and moved the Provider Information Change Form. It’s now located on the Forms page under “Provider Information Change.” The revised form supports most types of updates, including tax ID changes. Exception: Facilities adding a new location must use the Facility Credentialing/Contract Request Form.
2026 prefix list: When entering a member ID to check eligibility, claims, or prior authorization, be sure to use the correct prefix for the date of service. If you get an error message, you can access the updated prefix list or prefix replacements list to see if the prefix has been replaced. For more information about prefix replacements, visit azblue.com/prefix.
2026 Provider Operating Guide: You can preview the 2026 Provider Operating Guide via the AZ Blue provider portal at “Provider Resources > Provider Guidelines > Provider Operating Guide.” For an overview, see the summary of notable changes or the detailed Appendix of Changes.
90-day window for standard timely filing: For claims with service dates on or after January 1, 2026, our standard timely filing timeframe will be 90 days from the date of service.
How to send provider grievances: Please fax provider grievances to 602-544-5601 or mail them to PO Box 13466, Phoenix, AZ 85002 (the ProviderGrievance@azblue.com email inbox is no longer available).
2026 networks and products
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2026 Individual/Family plans will be supported by the new Focus Network, the Neighborhood Network, and the ACA Health Choice Network (MaricopaFocus and PimaFocus networks have been discontinued): Overview of 2026 ACA plans
Availity is a separate, independent company contracted with AZ Blue for provider portal services. Availity is a registered service mark and Availity Essentials is a service mark of Availity, LLC.
Blue Cross, Blue Shield, the Cross and Shield Symbols, Federal Employee Program, and FEP are registered service marks of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.
