Effective September 1, 2003, HMO Blue® Texas will implement changes to the HMO provider network that may impact you or your covered dependents.

Laboratory Corporation of America

Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp) will be the exclusive outpatient clinical reference laboratory provider in the major markets of Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Corpus Christi for HMO Blue Texas. Quest Laboratories and CPL, Inc. will no longer be participating providers in the HMO Blue Texas network statewide.

The LabCorp arrangement excludes lab services provided during emergency room visits, inpatient admissions, skilled nursing facility admissions, home care services, and outpatient day surgeries (hospital and free standing ambulatory surgery centers).

HMO Blue Texas members may have their sample collected at a participating physician’s office (who will forward to LabCorp for processing) or you will be directed to a LabCorp Patient Service Center by your PCP or Specialty Care Provider. For members referred to a service center, LabCorp offers over 170 Patient Service Centers conveniently located throughout Texas for easy access.

Call LabCorp’s toll-free number at 1-888-522-2677 for more information.

American Imaging Management/Imaging Providers of Texas

American Imaging Management (AIM), through its affiliate Imaging Providers of Texas (IPT), has been selected to provide “high tech” outpatient diagnostic imaging services for HMO Blue Texas. The arrangement with AIM/IPT will be effective in eleven counties in the Dallas/Fort Worth area: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Grayson, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and Wise. Effective November 1, 2007, the arrangement with AIM/IPT will also be effective in six counties in the Austin/San Antonio area: Bastrop, Bexar, Comal, Hays, Travis and Williamson.

AIM/IPT services includes outpatient diagnostic CT scans, MRI/MRA, PET scans, and Nuclear Cardiology (excluding imaging services provided during emergency room visits, inpatient admissions, outpatient surgeries and 23 hour observation).

Your PCP or specialist will obtain preauthorization from AIM before scheduling outpatient, diagnostic, non-emergency CT scans, MRI/MRA, PET scans, and Nuclear Cardiology procedures for you or any family members covered by HMO Blue Texas.