Starlight
Pharmacy Claims API

E1 Eligibility API

Verify pharmacy benefit eligibility before submitting claims. No BIN or PCN needed. Just patient info and a cardholder ID.

Three payer types, one endpoint

Commercial

cardholder_id only

No BIN/PCN needed. Just the cardholder ID. Returns other_payers with BIN/PCN/Group/Cardholder to use for B1 billing.

~80-85% match rate depending on PBM eligibility file submissions

Medicare Part D

cardholder_id + medicare: "D"

Add medicare: "D" to the request. Returns LICS subsidy level (0-5), plan type (MAPD/PDP), coverage dates, and up to 3 payer records for billing.

Cardholder ID accepts full SSN, last 4 SSN, or MBI

Medicare Part A/B

cardholder_id + medicare: "AB"

Add medicare: "AB" to the request. Returns coverage type (Part A only, Part B only, or both). Useful for DME billing, vaccine billing, and Medicare ID lookup.

Cardholder ID accepts full SSN, last 4 SSN, or MBI

Check commercial eligibility

terminal
curl -X POST https://starlight.claims/api/v1/eligibility \
  -H "X-API-Key: sk_live_your_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "patient": {
      "first_name": "JANE",
      "last_name": "DOE",
      "date_of_birth": "19850115",
      "gender": "F",
      "zip_code": "12345"
    },
    "insurance": {
      "cardholder_id": "W12234445567"
    }
  }'

No BIN or PCN required for commercial eligibility. Starlight handles routing automatically.

Response
{
  "status": "Eligible",
  "patient_confirmed": {
    "first_name": "JANE",
    "last_name": "DOE",
    "date_of_birth": "19850115"
  },
  "other_payers": [
    {
      "bin_number": "610014",
      "pcn": "OHPBCBS",
      "group_id": "XYZ123",
      "cardholder_id": "W12234445567"
    }
  ]
}

The other_payers array returns the BIN, PCN, Group, and Cardholder ID you need to submit a B1 billing claim.

Check Medicare Part D eligibility

terminal
curl -X POST https://starlight.claims/api/v1/eligibility \
  -H "X-API-Key: sk_live_your_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "patient": {
      "first_name": "JOHN",
      "last_name": "DOE",
      "date_of_birth": "19400615",
      "gender": "M",
      "zip_code": "34567"
    },
    "insurance": {
      "cardholder_id": "123456789",
      "medicare": "D"
    }
  }'

Cardholder ID accepts full SSN, last 4 digits, or MBI. Add medicare: "D" to switch to Part D lookup. Returns LICS subsidy level (0-5), plan type, coverage dates, and payer records for billing.

Check Medicare Part A/B eligibility

terminal
curl -X POST https://starlight.claims/api/v1/eligibility \
  -H "X-API-Key: sk_live_your_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "patient": {
      "first_name": "JOHN",
      "last_name": "DOE",
      "date_of_birth": "19400615",
      "gender": "M",
      "zip_code": "34567"
    },
    "insurance": {
      "cardholder_id": "123456789",
      "medicare": "AB"
    }
  }'

Returns coverage type (A only, B only, or both). Use medicare: "AB" for Part A/B lookup. Useful for DME billing, vaccine billing, and Medicare ID lookup.

Minimum fields

Required: Patient

  • › first_name
  • › last_name
  • › date_of_birth
  • › gender
  • › zip_code

Required: Insurance

  • › cardholder_id
  • › medicare (optional: "D" or "AB")

Add city, state, group_id, person_code, relationship_code for higher match rates. No BIN or PCN required.

NCPDP E1 vs X12 270/271

Pharmacy eligibility uses the NCPDP E1 transaction, completely separate from the X12 270/271 used for medical eligibility. Different protocol, different routing, different payer infrastructure.

Most "eligibility API" vendors only handle X12 270/271 (medical). Starlight handles the pharmacy side: NCPDP E1 through the pharmacy claims switch network.

Common use cases

  • Verify coverage before submitting a B1 claim to avoid unnecessary rejections
  • Discover patient's pharmacy BIN/PCN/Group for billing (returned in other_payers)
  • Check Medicare Part D plan details and subsidy levels (LICS)
  • Confirm Medicare Part A/B coverage for DME and vaccine billing
  • Patient lookup when insurance card is unavailable
  • Automated eligibility sweeps for pharmacy management systems

Check eligibility in seconds

One endpoint, three payer types. No BIN or PCN required. Just patient info and a cardholder ID.

Related reading