What is the rx bin number on my insurance card

If you have health insurance you probably have a health insurance card as well. On this card are a series of numbers and codes used by pharmacies to streamline the process of managing prescription insurance claims. These numbers may be referred to as a BIN.

What's a BIN?

The BIN, or bank identification number on your health insurance card, is a six-digit number that tells the computer database at the pharmacy which health insurance provider is to receive the claim for your prescription. The acronym BIN was established in the banking industry and carried over to the health insurance industry when cards were first issued. So despite the name, banks are not involved in the insurance billing process.

Card

When you go to the pharmacy to have a prescription filled, one of the first things the pharmacist usually asks for is your insurance card. Many health insurance cards have your policy number on them, as well as your prescription BIN, but some insurers issue prescription cards separately. The pharmacy uses your BIN to identify which insurer needs to reimburse the pharmacy for the cost of your medications. Most pharmacies have a list of BINs technicians enter into a computer database when you make your purchase.

Uses

When a policy holder makes a claim, a great deal of information is processed among the insurer, claimants and medical personnel. Likewise, large chain pharmacies may fill and process thousands of prescriptions and claims each day. BINs allow pharmacies to quickly and easily identify which insurers need to be billed. This allows a pharmacy to ensure it is correctly reimbursed in a timely and efficient manner.

Future

While BINs are most commonly used in the health care and banking industries, they are also increasingly being used by other industries that utilize customer cards or card based transactions. BIN usage can help companies reduce fraud and theft and allow consumers to make purchase claims and transactions that are relatively hassle-free.

Your (1) Member ID number, (2) Rx BIN, (3) PCN, and (4) Group ID (or Rx Group) number are the four numbers that uniquely identify you and your Medicare Part D prescription drug plan - and these four numbers are usually found on your Medicare Part D Member ID card and most of you Medicare plan correspondence or printed information (such as your plan's Welcome letter and Evidence of Coverage document).

These four numbers are also needed to fill your prescriptions using your Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.

What does a BIN, PCN, and Rx Group number look like?
Here is an example, of these three numbers for an older WellCare Medicare Part D prescription drug plan:

BIN: 603286
PCN: 01410000
GROUP (or RxGroup): 788257

In this particular example, these three numbers are the same for all WellCare Medicare Part D prescription drug plans (in this case, the WellCare Classic and WellCare Signature Part D plans) in all states across the country.

However, the BIN, PCN, and RxGroup number can vary between Medicare plans and may change year-to-year.

For more of examples of BIN and PCN numbers, you can see our 5-part Medicare Part D article: "Chart of 2022 BIN and PCN values for each Medicare Part D Plan"

What to do if you have lost your Member ID card
First, the good news: As noted above, you can still use your prescription drug plan even without having your Member ID card when you have the four key numbers: your Member ID number, PCN, Rx BIN, and Rx Group number.

But ... what if you cannot find anything with these four numbers, even on your plan's printed information?

Call your plans Member Services department
If you cannot find these four numbers, please contact your Medicare plan’s Member Services department - confirm your enrollment, and ask whether your new Member ID card was sent.

If you cannot find the telephone number for your Medicare plan, we have most Medicare plan Member Services numbers available through our PDP-Finder and MA-Finder tools. You can just look up your Medicare plan name, click on the plan name or the "Benefits and Contact Info" button below the plan name to see the Member or Customer Services number for your plan.

Call Medicare for assistance
If you cannot find your plan's Member Services number, you can also telephone Medicare at 1-800-633-4227, select the prescription drug option, and then choose the option to speak with a Medicare representative. Once connected, ask the Medicare representative to help you find your Medicare plan and your plan’s contact information.

Visit a pharmacist
As an alternative, if you cannot find a Member ID number, you can take your Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) (found on your Red, White, and Blue Medicare card) to your pharmacy and ask the pharmacist to call the Part D plan for your Member ID number. Next, your pharmacist needs the other three numbers to fill a prescription under your Part D prescription drug plan and the pharmacist may be able to get these while speaking with your Medicare plan.

• Browse 2023 Medicare Part D prescription drug plans
• Browse 2023 Medicare Advantage plans (MAPD)
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