Seniors

Why is CMS issuing new Medicare cards and new Medicare numbers?

The law requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to remove Social Security
Numbers (SSNs) from all Medicare cards by April 2019. A new unique Medicare number will replace
the current Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN) on the new Medicare cards. We’re taking this
step to protect people with Medicare from fraudulent use of SSNs, which can lead to identity theft and
illegal use of Medicare benefits.

When will CMS mail the new cards to people with Medicare, and what is the mailing schedule?
We’ll begin mailing new cards in April 2018 and will meet the statutory deadline for replacing all Medicare
cards by April 2019. Your patients who are new to the Medicare program starting in April 2018 and
later will only have a card with the new Medicare number.

There will be geographical waves of successive mailings. Mailing everyone a new card will take some
time. To protect people with Medicare from scams associated with sharing the mailing schedule,
targeted local outreach will occur, including outreach to health care providers, before cards are due to
arrive in a geographical area.

What do I need to be ready for the change?

Your systems and business processes must be ready to accept the new Medicare number (which
we call the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier or MBI in official guidance) by April 2018 for transactions,
such as billing, claim status, eligibility status, and interactions, with our Medicare Administrative
Contractor (MAC) contact centers.

There will be a transition period when you can use either the HICN or the MBI to exchange
data and information with us. The transition period will start April 1, 2018, and run through
December 31, 2019. However, your systems must be ready to accept the new MBI by April 1, 2018.
It’s especially important that you’re ready for people who are new to Medicare in April 2018 and later
because they’ll only get a card with the MBI.