Navigating Digital Member ID Cards

With everyone going paperless these days — including many health plans — Highmark will offer “digital only” member ID cards to our Commercial members in 2026. Beyond member convenience, digital ID cards offer real-time eligibility and benefits information as well as greater security. Commercial members may “opt into” digital only cards; those that do will not receive a physical ID card.

In fact, most Highmark members already have access to digital ID cards on their MyHighmark app and we know some prefer not to carry a physical card.  Your office is also probably seeing digital ID cards from other payers.

Highmark eligibility and benefits should always be verified in our provider portal Availity Essentials^® regardless of whether a digital or physical member ID card is presented.

If your office workflow includes documenting eligibility by scanning or copying a physical ID card, you have options.

Our member ID cards can be printed or saved as a PDF from Availity:

• Hover over the Patient Registration tab and click Eligibility and Benefits Inquiry
• Search for the patient using one of the search options, including:
  • Member ID/Policy Number + Date of Birth
  • Member Last Name + First Name + Date of Birth
  • Member ID/Policy Number + Member First Name + Last Name
• Select the member when they populate by clicking Submit
• The next screen will display the Eligibility & Benefits Detail
• Click the Member Card button, which will bring up the front and back of the card
• Click the Print button to print or save the card as a PDF

Members also may download or take a screen capture of their card in their MyHighmark app and email or text it to your office. Members can find their card in their MyHighmark app:

• Go to the My Benefits tab
• Click on their plan name — this will bring up their digital card with an option to view the front or back of the card right on their phone
• Card options in the app include Print Card or Download Card

If you are not already accessing Availity for eligibility and benefits checks, please click here to register with Availity.

Note: Member cards are not available in Availity for Federal Employee Plan (FEP) members or BlueCard (members of a non-Highmark Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield plan.)