Understanding the electronic funds transfer (EFT)
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) is a provider service where Blue Cross deposits your payment directly into your checking account. EFT, like iLinkBLUE, is a free service to providers. With iLinkBLUE, you will have access to EFT notifications and Payment Registers/Remittance Advices (that can be printed directly) through the iLinkBLUE Provider Suite. EFT eliminates the mail time associated with the delivery of your Payment Register/Remittance Advice and check, as well as the time consuming task of making a manual deposit to your bank.
All Blue Cross providers who sign up for iLinkBLUE, must also be a part of our EFT program. In the future, Blue Cross plans to implement mandatory use of the EFT program for all providers. Please see the form included in this manual to apply.
Blue Cross has created a guide for completing the EFT Application form. The guide as well as the EFT Application form are included in this manual.
Trace number vs. check number
* A trace number is the number that links the EFT to an ERA and it is located in the TRN02 segment in the 835.
The original trace number prefixes and their corresponding definitions are below. The first few bytes of the trace number can help identify the type of payment that is processed for the ERA transaction (see chart below).
* Your vendor may truncate the trace number on the ERA or exception reports.
YY Year
NN Iteration
JJJ Julian date
SSSSSSS Sequence #
MM Month
DD Day
EXAMPLE PREFIX COMMENTS
16MMDDYYSSSSSSS 16 HMO-based EFT/PIP
170940020000234 17 HMO-based and Medical Capitation Self-Funded payments made by EFT
F69993476000101,
CB9993476000101
FB99, F2-F899,
CB99, C2-C999 HMO-based zero pay
CB14131930 CB, C2-C7 HMO-based payment made by check (not followed by the number 99)
F812345678 F8-F9 HMO-based Self-Funded payments made by check
C916702241 C8-C9 HMO-based Self-Funded payments made by check
612345670000068 6 Medical Capitation Fully Insured payment made by EFT
151234567000068 15 All other plans EFT including Chickering
8YYJJJNNSSSSSSS 8 All other plans EFT including Chickering
3YYJJJNNSSSSSSS 3 All other plans EFT including Chickering
99992008000042 9999 All other plans zero pay
9YYJJJXXSSSSSSS 9 All other plans zero pay
000117-04396394 All Others All other plans payment made by check
18MMDDYYSSSSSSS 18 Pharmacy (RXY future release) ERA Only
