Reminder: Digital Access to Prior Authorization and Referral Decision Letters Through Availity® Essentials
July 16, 2026
Beginning July 18, 2026, providers can securely access prior authorization and referral approval and denial letters for commercial members through the Provider Correspondence Viewer within the branded Payer Spaces section of Availity Essentials. This tool provides a centralized, secure location to view and download decision letters online.
Beginning Sept. 8, 2026, prior authorization and referral approval letters for commercial members will no longer be mailed via the U.S. Postal Service for commercial members. Denial letters will continue to be mailed via USPS and will also remain available electronically through Availity Essentials.
Prior authorization and referral decisions issued by third-party vendors will continue to be communicated through existing channels and will not be available in the Provider Correspondence Viewer.
Prior authorization and referral approval letters for New Mexico Medicaid and Medicare Advantage members will be available in Availity Essentials at a later date. Watch News and Updates for an announcement.
Access for out-of-area providers
Out-of-area providers who request authorizations for members of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico can access the Provider Correspondence Viewer by adding the appropriate payer region to their Availity profile.
How to add a payer region in Availity:
- Go to My Account Dashboard on the Availity homepage
- Select Manage My Organization
- Choose Add Payer Region(s)
- Add the appropriate BCBSNM region
Opt-out process for USPS delivery of approval letters
Providers who prefer to continue receiving prior authorization and referral approval letters by USPS may submit an opt-out request via email to our Provider Education Consultants.
Please include the following information in the request:
- National Provider Identifier
- Provider Tax ID
- Provider name
- Provider city, state and ZIP
- Requester name
Additional resources
For questions about this change or for educational support, contact our Provider Education Consultants.
To learn more, refer to Provider Correspondence Viewer.
Watch the News and Updates page for future communications and additional guidance regarding digital correspondence access.
Always check eligibility and benefits through Availity Essentials or your preferred web vendor before rendering services. Reviewing eligibility and benefits before providing services can help ensure accurate processing and timely access to required authorization information.
Availity is a trademark of Availity, LLC, an independent company that operates a health information network to facilitate electronic information exchange for healthcare professionals. Availity provides administrative services to BCBSNM. BCBSNM does not endorse or warrant the products and services of third-party vendors.