How to Fax a Prior Authorization Request to Premera Blue Cross
Premera Blue Cross is an independent Blue Cross licensee serving members primarily in Washington and Alaska, and it requires prior authorization for select procedures, imaging, and drugs. This guide covers building a request Premera can review, finding the fax line printed on Premera's own form for the service, checking on the decision, and understanding how long an approval remains in effect.
Does Premera Blue Cross accept a fax?
Premera Blue Cross accepts prior authorization requests by fax for many services, with the accepting line set by the type of request — pharmacy versus medical — and the member's Premera plan. As an independent Pacific Northwest licensee, Premera runs its own intake, so the fax destination follows Premera's specific form, not a general Blue Cross number.
Finding the official fax number
The current fax number appears on the Premera Blue Cross prior authorization form for the service and inside Premera's provider portal, which routes the request by benefit. The member's plan documents and any Premera determination letter also identify the handling unit, so verify the number on Premera's live form every time rather than reusing one from a past submission.
What to include on every page
- The member's name, date of birth, and Premera member ID from the card
- The ordering provider's name, NPI, and a fax number for Premera's response
- The requested CPT/HCPCS code or drug and strength, with matching ICD-10 diagnoses
- Clinical notes and prior-therapy documentation meeting Premera's coverage criteria
- A cover sheet identifying the member and flagging a standard or expedited request
How to fax Prior Authorization Request Form to Premera Blue Cross
- 1Complete the Premera Blue Cross prior authorization form for the requested service or drug
- 2Gather the clinical documentation Premera's criteria call for
- 3Verify the current fax number on Premera's form or provider portal
- 4Export the form and attachments as a single high-contrast PDF
- 5Log in to Send FAX Mail, upload the PDF, enter the confirmed fax number, and send
- 6Keep the confirmation receipt in the member's record to mark the submission date
Confirming it arrived
As soon as the request reaches Premera's fax line, Send FAX Mail returns a dated confirmation to store with the packet. Premera issues its determination through the provider portal and by fax or letter, and the confirmation gives the office a documented submission date if Premera's review runs beyond the expected window.
What’s current · as of July 2026
- HIPAA large-breach reporting threshold
- 500+ individuals — reported to HHS OCR without unreasonable delay Source: HHS Office for Civil Rights
- HIPAA documentation retention period
- 6 years from creation or last-effective date Source: HHS — HIPAA Administrative Requirements (45 CFR 164.316)
Recent updates
Federal interoperability rules keep pushing healthcare past the fax machine
CMS has advanced a series of interoperability rules that press hospitals, payers, and providers toward electronic data exchange and standardized claims attachments. The direction of travel is clear: paper and analog fax workflows are being replaced by digital transmission that carries an auditable record — which is exactly what a cloud fax with delivery confirmation provides for offices not yet on a full EHR pipeline.
CMS →Healthcare breach reporting keeps document handling under scrutiny
Ongoing reporting on HIPAA breaches and OCR settlements underscores how much scrutiny falls on how medical documents are stored, sent, and received. Sending records through a controlled, access-logged channel rather than an unmanaged machine reduces the mishandling risks that show up repeatedly in breach analyses.
HIPAA Journal →HHS OCR continues enforcing HIPAA safeguards on how PHI is transmitted
The HHS Office for Civil Rights enforces the HIPAA Security Rule's requirement that covered entities apply administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protected health information in transit. Faxing PHI is permitted, but the sending practice is responsible for confirming the destination and controlling access — the reason healthcare senders favor a channel that logs each transmission and its recipient.
HHS Office for Civil Rights →
Faxing Prior Authorization Request Form to Premera Blue Cross — FAQ
Read it directly off the Premera prior authorization form that matches the service, then confirm it in Premera's provider portal, which routes by benefit. Because pharmacy and medical requests can land with different teams, check the number tied to the exact form you are submitting rather than one saved from another case.
Requests come back when the clinical evidence falls short of Premera's medical-necessity policy — missing chart notes, no documented step therapy, or a diagnosis that does not support the service. Incomplete member or provider identifiers also stall the review, so reconcile the packet with the criteria before faxing.
Premera's provider portal reflects a submitted request's status once it is logged, and the plan also returns its decision by fax or letter to the ordering office. If nothing has posted within the stated timeframe, follow up through the portal or by phone using the reference on the form.
Premera approvals carry an effective window and often an approved quantity of units or visits, all stated in the authorization letter. Deliver the service within that window; if it expires before the care is provided or the treatment plan changes, the office generally has to submit a new request.
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