As previously communicated, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
(BCBSA), an association of independent Blue Cross® and Blue
Shield® Plans, is changing the format of the prefixes it assigns
to all Blue Plans, including Independence's plans. The BCBSA is introducing
alpha numeric prefixes, which will be a change from the current alpha-only
prefixes you see today on Blue-branded member ID cards.
Providers can expect to see the new alpha numeric prefixes on Independence
and other Blue Plan (through the BlueCard® Program) ID cards as
early as June 2018. The first set of prefixes released will be in the
alpha-numeric-alpha (ANA) format.
We urge our network providers and third-party vendors to evaluate their
systems to assess if changes will be needed to accommodate alpha numeric
prefixes and ensure all systems and documentation are compliant with BCBSA
standards.
As additional information regarding this change becomes available, we will
communicate it in future Partners in Health UpdateSM
articles.
Note: Existing Blue Plan prefixes will not be affected by this
change.