New Medicare Cards Are Coming

Medicare-Card-New-

The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015, requires us to remove Social Security Numbers (SSNs) from all Medicare cards by April 2019. A new Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) will replace the SSN-based Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN) on the new Medicare cards for Medicare transactions like billing, eligibility status, and claim status.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is the governmental agency that administers Medicare.

  • The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) requires that CMS remove the Social Security Number from Medicare cards by April 2019.
  • The Social Security Number-based identifier (HICN) on Medicare cards will be replaced with a new Medicare number (MBI). The new cards will also have a new design and omit the gender and signature from the card.

The primary goal is to decrease the vulnerability of Medicare beneficiaries to identity theft and prevent taxpayer fraud.

Terminology:
  • HICN – The Social Security Number-based Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN), being removed from Medicare cards.
  • MBI – The new randomly-generated Medicare number replacing the HICN on Medicare cards and in Medicare systems; also known as the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI).
New Medicare Card Mailing Strategy:

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is required to remove Social Security Numbers (SSNs) from all Medicare cards by April 2019. A new, unique Medicare Number will replace the SSN-based Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN) on each new Medicare card. Starting April 2018, CMS will begin mailing new Medicare cards to all people with Medicare on a flow basis by geographic location and other factors.

New Medicare Card Mailing Waves Wave

States Included

Cards Mailing

1

Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia

April – June 2018

2

Alaska, American Samoa, California, Guam, Hawaii, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon

April – June 2018

3

Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin

After June 2018

4

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont

After June 2018

5

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina

After June 2018

6

Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

After June 2018

7

Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Virgin Islands

After June 2018


Exceptions:

Exceptions Claims submitted to Medicare after December 31, 2019 must use the beneficiary’s new Medicare number (MBI), with these exceptions:

  • Appeals
  • Adjustments
  • Span-Date Claims and Requests for Anticipated Payments (RAPs)
  • Reports: Outgoing (such as the Provider Statistical & Reimbursement Report, ACO reports, and Incoming (such as Quality Reporting, Disproportionate Share Hospital Data Requests)
  • Incoming Information Requests
  • Incoming Premium Payments
  • HICN can be used indefinitely for some systems (Drug Data Processing, Risk Adjustment Processing, and Encounter Data)

For more information: Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBIs)