How to read a blue cross insurance card

Your member ID card – like the example shown here – identifies you as a CareFirst member and shows important information about you and your covered benefits. Each family member on your plan should have a card with their name on it. Make sure to always present your ID card when receiving services. If you don’t have your physical card, you can view it on your smartphone through My Account.

This graphic shows the most requested information when you receive care. In addition, you will find important phone numbers on the back.

How to read a blue cross insurance card

1 & 2

Member ID & Group Number - these are the numbers providers need to verify your coverage

3

Codes pharmacies use to route claims for payment

4

Open access - no referrals are needed

5

Plan and PCP name - your plan and primary care provider's name

6

Abbreviations - correspond to your plan's copays: P=primary care provider; S=specialist; CC=convenience care; UC=urgent care; ER=emergency room; D=deductible; RX=drug; AV=adult vision

A few things go wherever with us. Our telephones, scratches, driver’s licenses and Mastercards are kept readily available consistently. It’s anything but difficult to perceive any reason why. Those things are extraordinary to every one of us, and give admittance to the things we need. With regards to medical care benefits, that thing is your Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) ID card.

While your BCBS ID card probably won’t get as much use as those different things, it ought to be treated similarly. Keep it in a safe, effectively open spot like your wallet. Your card contains key data about your medical coverage inclusion that is required when you need care, or get a solution at the drugstore. Keeping your card in a safe area will likewise help shield you from clinical wholesale fraud.

If you want to figure out how to read a Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance card then you have come to the right place. We have gathered all relevant information to help you fully understand everything that you need to know. So, without much further ado, let us dive right in!

Table of Contents

  • 1 How do I read my Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance card?
    • 1.1 Alpha prefixes
    • 1.2 Federal employee program ID cards
    • 1.3 ID cards from international licensees
    • 1.4 Benefit product logos
    • 1.5 Blank (empty) suitcase
    • 1.6 PPO in a suitcase
    • 1.7 PPOB in a suitcase
    • 1.8 No suitcase
    • 1.9 Medicare advantage
    • 1.10 Consumer-directed healthcare and healthcare debit cards
  • 2 What is the member number on an insurance card?
  • 3 How do I find my Blue Cross Blue Shield Policy number?
  • 4 Key information on your BCBS ID card
  • 5 Conclusion

This article provides you with information on Blue Cross and Blue Shield ID cards, including what the logos mean and how to utilize the data on them. Read on to understand more about the components of a Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance card and how to read them.

Alpha prefixes

Most BCBS-marked ID cards show a three-character alpha prefix in the initial three places of the part’s ID number. Nonetheless, there are a few exemptions. ID cards for the accompanying items and projects don’t have an alpha prefix:

  • Independent vision and drug store when conveyed through a middle person model
  • Independent dental items
  • The BCBS Federal Employee Program (FEP) – The letter “R” shows up before the ID number.

The alpha prefix is basic for requests with respect to the part, including qualification and benefits, and is vital for appropriate case documenting. A part’s ID number remembers the alpha prefix for the initial three positions and every resulting character ‒ somewhere in the range of 6 and 14 numbers or letters ‒ up to 17 characters complete.

Federal employee program ID cards

Federal Employee Program (FEP) individuals’ ID cards don’t have a three-character alpha prefix. Or maybe, all FEP part ID numbers start with the letter “R.”

ID cards from international licensees

ID cards from these Licensees additionally contain three-character alpha prefixes and could conceivably have one of the advantage item logos referred to in the accompanying areas.

Benefit product logos

Different logos might be shown on part ID cards for BCBS Plans in the United States and International Licensees authorized through BCBSA. Part ID cards may incorporate one of the logos underneath that recognize the sort of inclusion the part has and additionally show the supplier’s repayment level.

Blank (empty) suitcase

A clear suitcase logo on the facade of a part’s ID card implies that the part has out-of-zone inclusion that isn’t a PPO item. Advantage items that show a clear (unfilled) bag logo on ID cards incorporate:

  • Traditional
  • Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)
  • Point of Service (POS)

PPO in a suitcase

At the point when you see the “PPO in a bag” logo on the face of an ID card, it implies that the part has PPO-or EPO-type benefits accessible for clinical administrations inside or outside of the United States. It additionally implies that the supplier will be repaid for shrouded administrations as per the supplier’s PPO contract with the neighborhood BCBS Plan.

PPOB in a suitcase

At the point when you see the “PPOB in a bag” logo on the front of an ID card, it implies the part has chosen a PPO/EPO item from a BCBS Plan and the part approaches BlueCard PPO Basic.

No suitcase

Some BCBS ID cards don’t have a bag logo. These incorporate ID cards for Medicaid (State Children’s Health Insurance Programs [SCHIP] regulated as a component of a state’s Medicaid program), Medicare reciprocal and strengthening items (otherwise called Medigap), and ID cards for individuals who don’t have benefits outside of their nearby Plan’s administration territory.

Medicare advantage

At the point when the logos: HMO, PFFS, MSA, POS, or PPO are shown on the facade of a part’s ID card, it demonstrates the inclusion type the part has in his/her BCBS Plan administration region or locale. Be that as it may, when the party gets administrations outside his/her BCBS Plan administration territory or area, supplier repayment for secured administrations depends on the Medicare-permitted sum, aside from on account of PPO network-sharing courses of action.

Consumer-directed healthcare and healthcare debit cards

Individuals who have Consumer-Directed Healthcare (CDHC) designs frequently convey medical care charge cards that permit them to pay for cash based costs utilizing assets from their Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA), Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA). Each of the three are sorts of assessment supported records frequently offered by the part’s manager to pay for qualified costs not secured by the wellbeing plan. A few cards are “independent” check cards that spread qualified cash based expenses, while others likewise fill in as a wellbeing plan part ID card. These check cards can assist you with disentangling your organization cycle and can conceivably help:

  • Pay off an awful obligation
  • Lessen desk work for charging explanations
  • Limit accounting and patient record capacities for dealing with money and checks
  • Keep away from superfluous case installment delays

What is the member number on an insurance card?

Your membership ID number guarantees and identifies you as a secured individual from Blue Cross and Blue Shield. It’s significant on the grounds that it is the means by which you access your advantages when you need care, much like a charge card lets you utilize your record to make buys. Your part ID number interfaces you to your data in our frameworks, and is the thing that suppliers use to ensure you are secured for a treatment or medication when you look for care.

You can discover your part ID number on your part ID card, which you ought to get via the post office not long after you pursue one of our arrangements. In the event that you are a current part and your arrangement doesn’t transform, you won’t get another card. The card you have will even now work. On the off chance that you are in an arrangement through your activity or another gathering, it will likewise be recorded on your card. Your ID number is given right underneath your name.

It’s imperative to take your part ID card with you when you look for care, so your PCP’s office has your protection data. Without it, you might be charged wrongly for treatment or administrations. You will likewise require your ID number when you consider Customer Service or cover your tab. Your ID number is likewise the key that gets you into Blue Access for Members, your online asset for dealing with your medical services inclusion. There you can:

  • Check claims status and survey explanation of benefits articulations
  • Discover a specialist or emergency clinic utilizing provider finder
  • Learn wellbeing realities about ailments and illnesses

At times your ID number will change, for example, in the event that you switch medical coverage plans during open enlistment. However, your number should remain the equivalent if your arrangement doesn’t change. In the event that you are uncertain of whether your ID number has changed, call Customer Service at the number recorded on your ID card.

How do I find my Blue Cross Blue Shield Policy number?

You can sign in to your Blue Access for Members account on the official Blue Cross Blue Shield website, www.bcbstx.com, and see your arrangement data under the My Coverage tab. On the off chance that you have not made an account yet you can do as such by clicking Sign Up or Log In and afterward click on Register now. Once you have access to your account, you can find out your policy and policy number too.

Key information on your BCBS ID card

When you get your Blue Cross Blue Shield ID card, make sure to see that the following important information is present and clear on your card:

  • Check your details twice: Check your new card to guarantee subtleties like the spelling of your name and the sort of plan you chose are right. Contact your BCBS organization for help remedying any mistakes.
  • Important contact information: Your BCBS ID card has significant contact data to assist you with contacting us. The telephone numbers you require for everything from client assistance to qualification questions are generally found on the rear of your card.
  • Your member ID number: Your BCBS ID card has your part number, and at times, your manager bunch number. You’ll require this data while accepting clinical administrations at the specialist or drug store, or when calling client support for help.
  • Your plan type: If it slips your mind or aren’t sure what kind of medical coverage plan you have (like a HMO or PPO), you can discover on your BCBS ID card. On the off chance that you have a HMO, your card may likewise list the doctor or gathering you’ve chosen for essential consideration.
  • Your co-pays: Your BCBS ID card may incorporate an elite of the co-pay sums you can hope to pay for regular administrations, similar to a specialist’s visit or excursion to the trauma center.

Conclusion

Now that you know all about how to read a Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance card, you are well aware of what the logos mean. If for any case you have more questions regarding the ID card, you can contact the Blue Cross Blue Shield customer department or go on to their website to find out the answers to your queries.

What BCBS plan starts with R?

ID cards for FEP members do not display a three-character prefix. Rather, all FEP member ID numbers begin with the letter “R,” as highlighted on the sample ID card below.

What is alpha prefix Blue Cross?

alpha prefix. The three characters preceding the subscriber identification number on BCBS member ID cards. It identifies the member's Blue Cross Blue Shield company or national account in order to properly route the claim. ambulatory care facility (ACF)

What is insurance listed on the front of your card?

Insurance cards will have a policy number, usually on the front of the card. Each health insurance policy has an associated policy number. On your card, it is often marked “Policy ID” or “Policy #.” The insurance company uses this number to keep track of your medical bills.

What is group ID on insurance card?

Group number: Identifies your employer plan. Each employer choses a package for their employees based on price, or types of coverage. This is identified through the group number.