Magellan Behavioral Health of PA: Availity, Payer ID 01260, Provider Lines
Magellan Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania manages HealthChoices behavioral health in Bedford, Bucks, Cambria, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Somerset counties, and is adding Blair County on January 1, 2027. Most of the daily work runs through Availity.
Short answer
Magellan of Pennsylvania uses Availity Essentials for authorization requests and tracking, claim status, and attachments. Magellan's clearinghouse payer ID is 01260, and its default timely filing limit is 60 days from the date of service unless a state or contract exception applies. Provider Services lines are by county: Bucks and Montgomery (877) 769-9779, Cambria and Somerset/Bedford (800) 424-3711, and Lehigh/Northampton (866) 780-3368.
Where Magellan fits
Pennsylvania carves behavioral health out of HealthChoices. Each county, or group of counties, contracts a Behavioral Health Managed Care Organization, and the member's county of Medicaid eligibility decides which one you bill, regardless of their physical health plan. Confirm the member's county and BH-MCO in the state's Eligibility Verification System before every new episode.
| County | Provider Services |
|---|---|
| Bucks, Montgomery | (877) 769-9779 |
| Cambria | (800) 424-3711 |
| Somerset, Bedford | (800) 424-3711 |
| Lehigh, Northampton | (866) 780-3368 |
| Blair | Joining January 1, 2027; see Magellan's Blair County page |
As of October 2026.
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Authorizations, claim status, attachments | Availity Essentials |
| Claim submission | Availity Direct Submit is preferred; EDI direct, a third-party clearinghouse, or paper CMS-1500/UB-04 are accepted |
| Electronic payer ID | 01260 for 837P and 837I, per Magellan's clearinghouse instructions |
| Default timely filing | 60 days from date of service or discharge, unless your contract or a state exception says otherwise |
Recent changes to know
- Blair County, January 1, 2027. Magellan is implementing a new contract with Blair HealthChoices; providers serving Blair members should watch Magellan's Blair County updates.
- IBHS authorizations, October 1, 2026. Magellan updated the IBHS authorization request process for Somerset and Bedford counties.
- Availity expansion. More levels of care moved into Availity authorizations from November 1, 2025.
- H0004 place of service. Magellan issued a place of service update for H0004 in May 2026.
Where claims go wrong
- Late filing. A 60-day default is far shorter than many commercial plans.
- Attachments not received. Uploads in Availity that failed; Magellan posted an attachment upload issue in July 2026.
- Wrong county line. Calling or authorizing under the wrong county's process.
The other Pennsylvania BH-MCOs: Community Care, Magellan, PerformCare, Carelon, CBH Philadelphia. Overview: Pennsylvania Medicaid behavioral health billing.
Sources, read October 16, 2026: Magellan of PA for providers; Magellan of PA: file a claim; Magellan clearinghouse payer IDs; Magellan claims filing procedures; Magellan claims FAQ. Confirm current details on the plan's provider site.
Frequently asked questions
What is Magellan's payer ID?
01260 for both professional (837P) and institutional (837I) claims, per Magellan's clearinghouse instructions. Magellan of PA prefers submission through Availity.
Which counties does Magellan cover in Pennsylvania?
Bedford, Bucks, Cambria, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Somerset, with Blair County joining on January 1, 2027.
What is Magellan's timely filing limit?
Magellan's default is 60 days from the date of service or discharge, unless a state or contract exception applies.
How do I check a Magellan of PA authorization?
In Availity Essentials, which handles authorization requests and tracking, claim status, and attachment uploads.
Sixty days goes fast.
See Stable submit Magellan claims inside the filing window and track authorizations in Availity.
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