Top 75 Insurance Payers & Clearinghouses Every Medical Biller Should Know (2025 Directory)
If you want zero-guesswork billing in 2025, your edge is knowing which payers and clearinghouses move money fastest—and how to work each one with ruthless precision. Build your playbook with proven tactics from denials prevention, documentation integrity, CARC mastery, HIPAA compliance, and full-stack RCM execution. Level up your team with educators’ AMA strategies, targeted study tactics, and platform-smart software selection.
1) The 2025 map: what we mean by “payers” and “clearinghouses” (and why it prints money)
Payers span national commercial plans (UHC, Aetna, Cigna, Elevance/BCBS), Medicare, Medicaid MCOs, FEHB plans like GEHA, TRICARE/VA, regional health plans, workers’ comp administrators, and TPAs (UMR, Meritain, HealthSmart). Mastery here reduces touches, trims DNFB, and tightens your claims submission sequence. It also shrinks adjustments when your appeal letters cite the right CARC/RARC logic and your notes follow clinical documentation rules.
Clearinghouses are your traffic controllers—rejection feedback loops, ERA/EFT orchestration, payer-specific edits, eligibility, and attachments. The right hub pairs beautifully with your billing software stack and your downstream payment posting workflow. Tie that to rock-solid audit readiness and you’ll see first-pass yield lift quickly.
Multi-state teams should keep a credentialing/proficiency board that tracks payer-specific rules alongside coder licensure and state education requirements—start with state-by-state primers like California certification, Florida certification, Colorado certification, and Georgia certification, then scale across Illinois, Indiana, and Maryland as you hire.
If your scope includes telemedicine, IR, or bariatrics, cross-walk payer policies to our specialty coders’ maps for telehealth, interventional radiology, and bariatric surgery coding. For quality incentives, keep a MACRA cheat sheet from our QPP guide.
2) How to use this directory (selection criteria + quick wins)
We prioritized: (1) network scale and claim volume, (2) portal & EFT maturity, (3) ERA granularity, (4) denial/appeals transparency, (5) EDI reliability, and (6) billing-team feedback (from LinkedIn leadership Q&A, Reddit AMA lessons, and our RCM masterclass). Keep this article open next to your payer matrix, plug gaps with our software selection tips, and tighten your rejection ladder using the denials playbook.
Quick wins you can implement today
Enroll or re-enroll for ERA/EFT wherever available and hard-stop paper EOBs—then revamp rules in your payment posting queue.
Add a “Top 20 rejections” kanban linked to payer edits; match root-cause rules to our CARC code explainer.
Create specialty-specific checklists for telehealth modifiers, trauma coding, and HIPAA-secure workflows.
Audit high-value visits with our clinical documentation rules to preempt post-pay recoupments.
# | Type | Organization | Primary Portal / EDI | What To Know (ERA/EFT • Edits • Tips) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Payer | Medicare (FFS) | MAC portals; HETS; EDI via multiple hubs | Strict NCD/LCD & MUEs; enroll EFT/ERA; watch sequestration & modifier rules. |
2 | Payer | Medicaid (State Programs) | State portals; MCO carve-outs | Eligibility nuances; prior auth intensity; confirm MCO vs FFS routing. |
3 | Payer | UnitedHealthcare | UHC Provider Portal; Optum EDI | Nav for PA & appeals; verify place-of-service & telehealth modifiers. |
4 | Payer | Aetna (CVS Health) | Availity; Aetna portal | ERA granularity strong; manage bundling logic on surgical episodes. |
5 | Payer | Cigna Healthcare | Availity; Cigna portal | Check site-of-service policies; appeals windows tight. |
6 | Payer | Elevance Health (Anthem BCBS) | Availity | BCBS plan-by-plan differences; use payer-specific payer IDs. |
7 | Payer | Humana | Availity; Humana portal | Strong MA footprint; risk-adjustment coding affects audits. |
8 | Payer | Kaiser Permanente | Kaiser portals | Closed network processes; confirm referral/authorization pathways. |
9 | Payer | Centene / Ambetter / WellCare | Availity; payer portals | State-specific edits; MCO PA is pivotal for first-pass success. |
10 | Payer | Molina Healthcare | Availity; Molina portal | Check Medicaid-to-MA crossover; tight auth on imaging. |
11 | Payer | HCSC (BCBS IL/TX/OK/NM/MT) | Availity | Plan differences across states; payer ID precision required. |
12 | Payer | Florida Blue (BCBS FL) | Availity | Local LCDs for specialties; manage inpatient auth transitions. |
13 | Payer | Blue Shield of California | Availity; BSC portal | Distinct from Anthem CA; verify payer IDs carefully. |
14 | Payer | Regence / Asuris | Availity | Northwest rules; verify OON benefits for telehealth. |
15 | Payer | Premera Blue Cross | Availity | Alaska/Washington specifics; mental health carve-outs. |
16 | Payer | Highmark | Availity | Pennsylvania/WV footprint; HMO vs PPO edits differ. |
17 | Payer | Independence Blue Cross | Availity | Philadelphia region; monitor experimental procedure policies. |
18 | Payer | EmblemHealth / GHI | Emblem portal | New York authorizations; behavioral health vendor carve-outs. |
19 | Payer | Fidelis Care (NY) | Availity; Fidelis portal | Medicaid/Marketplace rules; attach notes for complex cases. |
20 | Payer | Oscar Health | Oscar portal | Younger network; verify referrals; telehealth benefits vary. |
21 | Payer | Tufts / Point32Health | Tufts portal | MA & commercial lines; strict PA for imaging/surgeries. |
22 | Payer | Harvard Pilgrim / Point32Health | HPI portal | New England focus; check telehealth parity. |
23 | Payer | UPMC Health Plan | UPMC portal | PA network alignment crucial; inpatient authorization nuances. |
24 | Payer | Priority Health (MI) | Priority portal | MA & commercial; verify tiering for specialty services. |
25 | Payer | Geisinger Health Plan | GHP portal | Regional policies; inpatient-to-observation edits. |
26 | Payer | TRICARE (Humana/Health Net/Express Scripts) | Regional portals | Region-specific rules; referral/PA rigor high. |
27 | Payer | VA Community Care Network | Optum/Anthem admins | Authorization routing critical; attach records promptly. |
28 | Payer | Railroad Medicare | Palmetto GBA | Specialized edits; distinct from Part B locality rules. |
29 | Payer | GEHA (FEHB) | GEHA portal | Federal employee benefit nuances; check OON reimbursement. |
30 | Payer | Meritain Health (Aetna TPA) | Meritain portal | Self-funded plan rules vary by employer; verify benefits. |
31 | Payer | UMR (UHC TPA) | UMR portal | Employer-specific carve-outs; check prior auth matrix. |
32 | Payer | Allied Benefit Systems | Allied portal | Self-funded variability; appeal with plan document cites. |
33 | Payer | HealthSmart | HealthSmart portal | Network vs repricing arrangements; verify payer ID. |
34 | Payer | WebTPA | WebTPA portal | Self-funded; ensure coordination with stop-loss rules. |
35 | Payer | PEHP (Utah) | PEHP portal | State plan requirements; check referral rules. |
36 | Payer | MedCost | MedCost portal | Regional network; verify repricing entities. |
37 | Payer | Workers’ Comp—State Funds | State portals | Attach clinical notes & work status; slower adjudication. |
38 | Payer | Sedgwick (Workers’ Comp) | Sedgwick portal | TPA for many employers; documentation completeness key. |
39 | Payer | CorVel (Workers’ Comp) | CorVel portal | Bill review rigor; CPT/fee schedule precision required. |
40 | Clearinghouse | Availity | Portal + EDI | Dominant for BCBS/Aetna/Cigna; rich eligibility & auth tools. |
41 | Clearinghouse | Waystar | EDI + analytics | Robust claim edits, ERA automation, patient estimation. |
42 | Clearinghouse | Change Healthcare (Optum) | EDI Network | Massive connectivity; check latest payer IDs post-mergers. |
43 | Clearinghouse | Cognizant TriZetto | EDI + payer rules | Powerful edit libraries; watch companion guides per payer. |
44 | Clearinghouse | The SSI Group | Claims & attachments | Hospital-friendly tools; UB-04 optimization. |
45 | Clearinghouse | Experian Health | EDI + eligibility | Strong coverage discovery & propensity models. |
46 | Clearinghouse | Office Ally | EDI + Payer Portal | Popular with small practices; broad basic connectivity. |
47 | Clearinghouse | Claim.MD | EDI portal | Quick enrollment; transparent rejections; good for startups. |
48 | Clearinghouse | Smart Data Solutions | EDI + mailroom | Attachments & paper-to-digital acceleration. |
49 | Clearinghouse | Optum iEDI | EDI | Deep payer ties; ensure companion guides are current. |
50 | Clearinghouse | Relay Exchange | EDI | Large legacy network; confirm payer mapping updates. |
51 | Clearinghouse | TruBridge | EDI + rural focus | Critical access hospital strengths; UB clean-up. |
52 | Clearinghouse | eSolutions (now Waystar) | EDI | Medicare crossover expertise; hospice/HHA tools. |
53 | Clearinghouse | Quadax | EDI + AR | Lab/diagnostic strength; denial analytics. |
54 | Clearinghouse | NaviNet | Portal | Payer collaboration; eligibility & messaging. |
55 | Clearinghouse | GHX eCommerce (EDI) | EDI / remits | Some payer pipes; verify payer list for claims. |
56 | Clearinghouse | PracticeSuite Clearinghouse | Embedded EDI | Aligned to PMS; confirm payer enrollments. |
57 | Clearinghouse | Plexis Healthcare Systems | EDI | Payer/TPA platform; niche connectivity. |
58 | Clearinghouse | Practice Insight (eMDs) | EDI | Independent practice fit; watch payer IDs. |
59 | Clearinghouse | Jopari (Attachments/WC) | eBill + attachments | Workers’ comp strengths; state eBill compliance. |
60 | Clearinghouse | Trizetto ERAs (Cognizant) | ERA/EFT | ERA normalization; auto-posting configs. |
61 | Payer | Health Net | Health Net portal | CA focus; check CMG participation & auth. |
62 | Payer | CDPHP | CDPHP portal | NY plan; keep PA matrix handy. |
63 | Payer | Emory Healthcare Plan | Portal | Employer plan rules vary; confirm benefits. |
64 | Payer | Scott & White Health Plan | SWHP portal | Central Texas; referrals matter. |
65 | Payer | Blue Cross NC | Availity | Local policies; check imaging auth vendor. |
66 | Payer | Blue Cross MA | Availity/NaviNet | Parity on telehealth; reimbursement schedules vary. |
67 | Payer | Prevea360 / Quartz | Quartz portal | WI/IA footprint; prior auth vigilance. |
68 | Payer | Banner|Aetna | Availity | Arizona network; double-check payer ID. |
69 | Payer | Intermountain Health Plan (SelectHealth) | SelectHealth portal | Mountain West rules; tiering/PA strict. |
70 | Payer | Priority Partners (MD Medicaid MCO) | Portal | MCO rules; attach medical necessity quickly. |
71 | Payer | AmeriHealth Caritas | Portal | Several state MCOs; frequent policy bulletins. |
72 | Payer | Presbyterian Health Plan (NM) | PHP portal | Regional edits; verify networks for specialties. |
73 | Payer | SummaCare | Summa portal | Ohio regional; check radiology auth vendor. |
74 | Payer | HAP (MI) | HAP portal | Detroit metro; MA policies prominent. |
75 | Payer | Wellmark BCBS (IA/SD) | Availity | Regional fee schedules; check telehealth parity rules. |
3) Playbook: crushing first-pass yield with payer-specific habits
Start by standardizing enrollment—ERA/EFT + portal access—for your top-20 volume payers. Assign an owner for each payer, maintain a “what changed” log, and update edits every Friday. Anchor your routines to the claims submission process and map your most common CARC denial reasons to concrete fixes. Then, pressure-test documentation with our CDI checklist before you hit “submit.”
Fast wins across big payers
UHC/UMR: Verify site-of-service and add PA proofs to avoid medical necessity denials; use Optum eligibility and build automation with your software stack.
Aetna/Meritain: Watch surgical bundling; attach op notes proactively and monitor short appeal windows using our denial management guide.
Cigna: Scrub POS/telehealth logic; embed modifier cheat sheets from the telemedicine coding playbook.
BCBS plans (Elevance/HCSC/Wellmark/Regence): Payer ID precision is everything. Version your edits at the plan level and document variances in a shared workbook; refresh training with our educators AMA.
Medicare/Railroad: Track NCD/LCD updates; run pre-bill audits guided by coding audits best practices; route complex cases (IR/trauma) via our IR and trauma maps.
Clearinghouse tactics that pay off
Turn on claim attachment workflows (esp. imaging/surgical) and enforce zero manual faxing; this alone accelerates payment posting—then use our payment posting guide to auto-post remits cleanly.
Normalize ERA reason codes and build a mini “reasons → actions” library mapped to CARC logic.
For denials focused practices (ED/ASC/orthopedics), implement our denials prevention blueprint and add payer-specific pre-auth checklists.
4) Denials, AR, and audit defense—make rejections a rounding error
Pre-submission controls are everything: demographics verification, eligibility (with COB), PA proofs, medical necessity, LCD policy checks, and specialty modifiers. Build your guardrails from our RCM master guide and hard-code them into your software rules engine. Align your team’s weekly cadence:
Day 1: Rejections sweep → fix within 24 hours using CARC mapping.
Day 2–3: Denials work-down → use templates from the denials guide.
Day 4: Audit look-backs → anchor to coding audit protocols.
Day 5: Education refresh → target gaps with CDI fundamentals and exam-passing tactics.
For telehealth/ASC/IR high-variance edits, pre-route tricky encounters to senior coders and cross-check our telemedicine rules, ASC denial control, and bariatric episode coding. To reduce rework, improve intake scripting with insights from our LinkedIn billing leader Q&A.
5) Remote teams, multistate payers, and career leverage
Modern billing teams are hybrid, remote, and national. That means different payer rules, varied Medicaid MCOs, and unique credentialing steps. Use state certification pages to build onboarding tracks for new hires: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, and Mississippi. Create a “payers by state” matrix and link your top five per state to internal SOPs.
To accelerate careers and recruiting, study our guides to remote roles (use as placeholder), real-world wisdom from Reddit AMAs, and leadership insights from the LinkedIn billing landscape Q&A. For coders targeting high-acuity settings, sharpen with our complex trauma coding and IR billing primers, then keep compliance tight with HIPAA essentials.
Finally, stitch your tech stack to your payer network. If your PMS/EMR bundles billing features, compare them using our software solutions guide and build payer-specific worklists. Add ERA auto-post rules and reconciliation tasks anchored to the payment posting roadmap and you’ll feel AR days sliding down fast.
6) FAQs (detailed and practical)
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Start with your top-20 payers by claim volume and high-variance denial sources (usually MA/MCO lines). For each, enroll ERA/EFT, confirm payer IDs in your clearinghouse, and update your SOPs. Use our claims submission guide to re-map workflows, then route all rejections to a same-day queue guided by the denials blueprint.
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Turn on claim-level attachments, normalize ERA reason codes, and enable payer-specific edit packs. Build a mini library mapping CARC/RARC to fixes using our CARC explainer. Then integrate auto-posting and reconciliation using the payment posting playbook.
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Implement a PA proof checklist at scheduling and a medical necessity gate in coding. For high-risk lines (imaging, surgeries, telehealth), cross-reference payer policies and plug our telemedicine coding rules and CDI guidelines. Audit weekly using the coding audit framework.
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Medicaid and local BCBS policies. Build state folders with top payers, MCOs, payer IDs, auth vendors, and fee schedules. Use our state certification pages—start with California, Florida, Illinois, and Maryland—to create onboarding checklists and speed credentialing.
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A reliable clearinghouse, a PMS/EMR with solid claim edits, eligibility + auth automation, and tight payment posting. Start with our software guide, then operationalize day-to-day using the RCM master guide and denial prevention playbook.
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Bake quality into the workflow: a light-touch pre-bill CDI check, weekly audit samples by payer/specialty, and quarterly refreshers based on our audit guide and documentation essentials. Use payer-specific appeal templates and track overturn rates by reason to guide training.