BlueCard routing directory

BCBS prefix lookup

Enter the first three characters from a member’s current Blue Cross Blue Shield ID card. Find the BlueCard home plan, state, payer ID, and published claim-status and eligibility routes.

BlueCard routing

Use the first three characters exactly as printed on the current member ID card. Federal Employee Program IDs beginning with a single “R” follow a separate route.

19,199 mapped prefixes1 ms

PrefixBCBS home planStateTrading partner IDEnhanced claim statusEDI · ECS · PortalEligibility270/271AppealsAgent access

A2ABlue Cross and Blue Shield of TexasBlueCard home planTX

A2BBlue Cross and Blue Shield of TexasBlueCard home planTX

A2CBlue Cross and Blue Shield of IllinoisBlueCard home planIL

A2DBlue Cross and Blue Shield of TexasBlueCard home planTX

A2EBlue Cross and Blue Shield of TexasBlueCard home planTX

A2FBlue Cross and Blue Shield of TexasBlueCard home planTX

A2GBlue Cross and Blue Shield of IllinoisBlueCard home planIL

A2HBlue Cross and Blue Shield of TexasBlueCard home planTX

A2ICapital BlueCrossCAPITAL BLUE CROSSPA

A2JBlue Cross and Blue Shield of IllinoisBlueCard home planIL

A2KCapital BlueCrossCAPITAL BLUE CROSSPA

A2LCapital BlueCrossCAPITAL BLUE CROSSPA

A2MCapital BlueCrossCAPITAL BLUE CROSSPA

A2NCapital BlueCrossCAPITAL BLUE CROSSPA

A2QHorizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New JerseyHorizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New JerseyNJ

A2RCapital BlueCrossCAPITAL BLUE CROSSPA

A2TPremera Blue CrossPREMERA BLUE CROSS HMOWA

A2UHighmark Blue Cross Blue ShieldHighmark of Pennsylvania—

Browse the directory

BCBS prefixes by first character

Open a character to see every mapped prefix that starts with it, with the home plan, state, and payer ID.

For billing teams

Route the member, not the local plan.

Read the card

Use the prefix from the member’s current ID card. Never borrow or infer one from another member.

Find the home plan

The prefix identifies the BlueCard home plan that owns eligibility and claim adjudication.

Use the terminal payer

Copy the trading partner ID or open the payer summary to confirm available claim-status and eligibility routes.

BlueCard reference

What a BCBS prefix tells you

A member may carry a Blue plan from another state. The three-character prefix points to the home plan that owns the member relationship and adjudicates the claim—not necessarily the local plan where care was delivered.

Use the current member ID card, then confirm transaction routing with the resolved terminal payer or clearinghouse before submission.

Example prefix records

Common questions

BCBS prefix lookup FAQ

What is a BCBS prefix?

A BCBS prefix is the first three characters on a member ID card. It identifies the BlueCard home plan responsible for the member's benefits and claim adjudication.

How do I look up a BCBS prefix?

Enter the three-character prefix exactly as it appears on the member's current ID card. The directory returns the home plan, state, terminal payer, trading partner service ID, and published transaction routes.

Does a BCBS prefix identify the local plan?

Not necessarily. The prefix identifies the member's home plan, which can differ from the local Blue Cross Blue Shield plan where care was delivered.