When members of Blue Plans arrive in your office or facility, be sure to ask for their current health plan identification (ID) card. The card identifies BlueCard members with an alpha prefix and a suitcase logo.

Do’s and don’t’s

• Do ask for the ID card and submit the ID number, including alpha prefix, exactly as it appears.
• Do make copies of the front and back of the ID card and share this information with your billing staff.
• Don’t add/delete characters or numbers within the ID number.
• Don’t change the sequence of the characters following the alpha prefix.
• Don’t assume that the ID number is a social security number (SSN). (The use of SSNs as ID numbers will be phased out by January 1, 2006.)

The alpha prefix
The alpha prefix:

• is normally three characters, but may be four (e.g., members of HMSA Blue Cross Blue Shield of Hawaii).
• is the key element used to identify members and route out-of-area claims.
• identifies the Blue Plan or national account to which the member belongs.
• confirms a patient's membership and coverage.

The remaining portion of the member's ID consists of seven to 14 alpha/numeric characters.

No alpha prefix on ID card
If the ID card does not have an alpha prefix, the member's benefits are excluded from the BlueCard Program. Please look for instructions or a telephone number on the back of the ID card.

Suitcase logo
In addition to the alpha prefix, ID cards may also have:

• A blank suitcase logo.
• A PPO in a suitcase logo for eligible PPO members.
• No suitcase logo.

  Blank suitcase logo
  A blank suitcase logo on an ID card indicates that the patient has one of the following types of benefits delivered through the BlueCard Program:

  • Traditional (Participating)
  • Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)
  • Point-of-service (POS)

  PPO in a suitcase logo
  Members with a “PPO in a suitcase” logo on their ID card receive the preferred level of benefits when they obtain services from designated PPO providers or facilities outside of their Blue Plan’s service area. To find out if you’re a BlueCard PPO provider, visit www.bcbs.com.

  It’s important to remember that not all PPO members are BlueCard PPO members, only members whose ID cards carry this logo.

  No suitcase logo
  If the ID card has an alpha prefix, but no suitcase logo, send it to Regence BCBSO.

Identifying international members
Occasionally, you may see ID cards from international Blue Plan members.

• These ID cards will also contain three-character alpha prefixes.
• Treat the claims for these members the same as for domestic Blue Plan members.

Front and back of ID card of Blue Plan member from Germany