Seeing Florida Blue members on Headway

Plans accepted

Florida Blue is the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) plan for the state of Florida. “Florida Blue” is the trade name for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc. The following subsidiaries are accepted through Headway:

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc. (DBA Florida Blue)
• Health Options, Inc. (DBA Florida Blue HMO)
• Florida Blue Medicare, Inc. (Florida Blue Medicare)

Accepting out-of-state BCBS members

National network coverage allows BCBS members from other states to access care while in Florida. If a BCBS or Anthem BCBS member from outside Florida is temporarily residing here, you can see them as an out-of-area provider.

To identify these members:

• Their Member ID begins with a three-character prefix (e.g., 1AA, A1A, AA1).
• Their ID card shows a suitcase logo.

If you're unsure, call the number on the back of their card or contact our team. 

How credentialing works

Florida Blue's behavioral health network is managed by Lucet Behavioral Health, which handles credentialing and provider relations on Florida Blue's behalf.

Headway is contracted with Lucet to provide care to Florida Blue members through Sunshine Medical Behavioral Health Services, P.A. (Sunshine BH), one of Headway’s professional corporations. You may see this name or TIN appear in CAQH, insurance portals, billing platforms, or on health plan directories as your affiliated organization when credentialed through Headway.

When you opt in, your application is submitted to Lucet under Sunshine BH. Lucet may contact you directly about your credentialing status, but for any questions or concerns, please reach out to Headway rather than Lucet.

Network eligibility

To join Florida Blue’s network through Headway, you must meet the following criteria:

Full network enrollment

Florida Blue automatically enrolls providers in both its Commercial and Medicare Advantage (MA) networks. If you choose to participate, you will automatically be enrolled in both networks. You will still need to complete your MA training before accepting Medicare Advantage patients on Headway. If you do not want to participate in Medicare Advantage, you are not eligible to join the Florida Blue network at this time.
 

Office requirements

In January 2026, Lucet updated its office requirements to ensure that care is delivered from commercial locations with secure, private spaces. Headway is required to confirm that all participating office locations meet these updated standards.

To render in-person services, your office must meet all of the following:

• Commercial service address – churches are not eligible
• Non-residential – this applies even if your residential location has a separate office area (e.g., a garage or home office room)
• Actively used in-person appointments – prior or inactive office locations do not qualify
• Private, enclosed space – must have a closable door to ensure member privacy
   

If your practice location doesn't qualify

If your practice location does not meet Lucet's office guidelines, Headway cannot authorize it as a service location. You will still be eligible to see Florida Blue members via telehealth (virtual-only).

If you archive your current practice location(s) on Sigmund, you will remain credentialed with Florida Blue through Headway, but your status will be updated to virtual-only. This allows you to continue seeing Florida Blue members in Florida via telehealth.

Regardless of visit type, clients must be residing in Florida at the time of the session.
 

Checking your credentialing status

Estimated credentialing date

Credentialing timelines vary depending on your current network status with Florida Blue:

• Already in-network with Florida Blue through your private practice: up to 100 days
• Out-of-network with Florida Blue: up to 180 days

To view your estimated credentialing date:

1. Log in to your Headway profile
2. Navigate to your Insurance status tab 
3. Go to the Florida Blue section

Your estimated credentialing date is calculated based on your opt-in date plus the applicable timeline above.

Once we receive updated information from Lucet, we'll refine your estimated go-live date and send you an email confirming when you can start billing Florida Blue members on Headway.

If no date appears in your Insurance status tab, please rest assured that our team is still actively working on your credentialing.
 

Checking task completion

Credentialing timelines begin only after Headway has submitted your completed application to Lucet.

To ensure your application can be submitted, please confirm that you have: 

• Opted in to credentialing with Florida Blue
• Completed all required documents
• Responded to any follow-up items requested by Lucet’s credentialing team

If you have outstanding tasks, your application has not yet been submitted and your credentialing timeline has not started.
 

Opting-in

You can opt-in to credentialing using one of the following methods:

Option 1

1. Log in to your Headway profile 
2. Look for the Florida Blue credentialing pop-up on your home screen

Option 2

1. Log in to your Headway profile
2. Navigate to the Insurance Status page
3. Click Finish your application
    

Checking for follow-up items

To confirm that all credentialing tasks are complete:

1. Log in to your Headway profile
2. Navigate to your Insurance Status page
3. Scroll to the Florida Blue section
4. Look for a red Action needed flag

Commercial vs. Medicare Advantage timelines

Please note that credentialing with Medicare Advantage is contingent upon completing the required Headway Medicare Advantage trainings. As a result, your Commercial and Medicare Advantage credentialing timelines may differ. 

Your Commercial credentialing process will proceed independently and will not be delayed by pending Medicare Advantage training requirements.

Start seeing Florida Blue members

Once you're credentialed, you can begin accepting Florida Blue clients immediately. We recommend:

• Adding your current Florida Blue clients as soon as possible so we can begin the verification process
• Updating your external profiles (Psychology Today, Zocdoc, Google My Business) to reflect Florida Blue as an accepted plan and start building your pipeline and waitlist
• Reviewing your rates by CPT code in the provider portal

For questions about client copays or deductibles, contact our support team.

Billing Florida Blue members 

If you are credentialed with Florida Blue only through Headway, that credentialing does not apply outside the platform. Once you're live, you are contractually obligated to bill as an in-network provider and submit all claims through Headway. Failure to do so may result in escalation to our Clinical Quality Committee and potential depaneling from the plan.

If you are credentialed with Florida Blue independently outside of Headway, you may bill for appointments either through Headway or through your private practice.

If you are unsure about your credentialing status with Florida Blue on Headway, please contact our support team before billing outside the platform.

How Headway bills on your behalf Headway bills under its state TIN — associated with Sunshine Medical Behavioral Health Services, P.A. — with your individual NPI as the rendering provider. You may see this entity name or TIN in CAQH, insurance portals, or health plan directories.