All enrollment instructions

How Do I Enroll for Blue Cross Blue Shield EFTs?

There is no single Blue Cross Blue Shield EFT enrollment. BCBS is an association of independent, locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies, and each one runs its own provider enrollment. In practice almost every Blue plan uses one of two systems — Availity or EnrollSafe — so once you know which plan pays your claims, the steps below will get you there.

1. 1

   Identify your local Blue Cross Blue Shield plan

   Blue Cross Blue Shield is a federation of independent, locally operated companies. EFT enrollment is handled by the Blue plan you are contracted with, not by the national association, so the first step is knowing which company pays your claims. You can look yours up in the BCBS companies directory.

2. 2

   Check which enrollment route your plan uses

   Most Blue plans route provider EFT enrollment through one of two systems: Availity Essentials or the EnrollSafe hub. A smaller number handle it with their own form. Your local plan's provider site will say which one applies to you.

3. 3

   Availity route: Enrollments Center > Transaction Enrollment

   If your plan uses Availity, sign in to Availity Essentials, select My Providers, then Enrollments Center, then Transaction Enrollment, and follow the steps. This is the route used by the HCSC plans (BCBS of Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Montana), Florida Blue, and BCBS Michigan. You must be a registered Availity user; if Enrollments Center is not listed under My Providers, contact your Availity administrator. Transaction Enrollment also lets you submit EFT and ERA enrollments to several payers at once and track their status.

4. 4

   EnrollSafe route: enrollsafe.payeehub.org

   If your plan uses EnrollSafe, log on at enrollsafe.payeehub.org, complete registration, and provide your direct deposit information on the enrollment page. This is the route used by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, BCBS North Carolina, Highmark BCBS Western New York, Empire BCBS, and Healthy Blue. EnrollSafe replaced CAQH EnrollHub on November 1, 2021 — if you already enrolled through CAQH EnrollHub, no action is needed unless you are making changes.

5. 5

   Plans that use their own enrollment form

   A few Blue plans handle EFT enrollment directly rather than through Availity or EnrollSafe — BCBS Rhode Island, for example, uses its own Electronic Fund Transfer Request form. If your plan uses neither system, check its provider site or call its provider services line for the current form.

6. 6

   Allow time for bank verification

   Blue plans verify your banking details before activating EFT, and the wait varies by plan — BCBS Michigan notes it can take up to two weeks, while Florida Blue enrollments can stay open up to 30 days for full validation. Keep watching for paper checks until your plan confirms the switch.