BCBS alpha prefix lookup
Type the first three characters of a Blue Cross Blue Shield member ID to see which plan the prefix is listed for in our data, with the source we used.
Prefix lookup
Enter only the 3-character prefix, never a full member ID.
Federal Employee Program (FEP) member IDs start with the letter R followed by 8 digits, instead of a three-character prefix, so there is no prefix to look up. What to do with an FEP card.
Unofficial reference. Prefixes change. Verify with the plan before submitting a claim. Data last updated .
AlphaPrefix is an independent reference site. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association or any Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield plan.
Coverage
We currently list 859 prefixes under 47 plan names, each with a cited source. Some plan names are regional names or product lines of the same company, so this is not a count of separate Blue companies. The entries include at least one prefix for plans in 37 states plus DC. Entries for plans listed as multi-state are not counted toward any state. Coverage is uneven: a large share of the entries comes from a few plans that publish full prefix lists (the 3 plan names with the most entries account for 59% of them), and many plans have few or no entries. Coverage is partial and growing as we add more sourced prefixes.
Browse every sourced prefix in the alpha prefix list, or read how we source and check each entry.
Guides
- What is a BCBS alpha prefix?
What the first three characters of a Blue member ID mean, why claims need them, and which cards have none.
- How to read a Blue Cross Blue Shield member ID card
Where the prefix sits on the card, what the suitcase logo and product indicators mean, and what to capture.
- BlueCard home plan vs host plan
Which Blue plan decides benefits, which one you send the claim to, and how the prefix connects them.
- Prefix not found? What to do next
Steps to take when a prefix is not in our data or the card has no prefix, and who to call to verify.