Are You Prepared for the Transition to New Medicare Beneficiary Identifier?

To protect the integrity of the Medicare program and the identity of Medicare patients, a provision of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015 prohibits the display or embedding of social security account numbers (or a derivative thereof) on Medicare issued beneficiary cards. Effective April 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will replace the social security account number-derived Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN) with an 11 character, randomly generated Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI). 

CMS plans to begin mailings of new Medicare cards in April 2018, in phases and based on geographic location. Further details about the data and information exchange transition period between healthcare providers and Medicare Administrative Contractors can be found on the CMS website. Healthcare providers are expected to fully transition to MBIs by January 1, 2020. 

Access the fact sheet from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.