New Medicare Cards Will No Longer Use Social Security Numbers

Medicare is preparing to stop using Social Security numbers for identification next year and will send new cards to patients with Medicare ID numbers. Using Social Security numbers has been a recognized vulnerability for years, exposing seniors to identity fraud. In a digital society, having a Social Security number stolen can have immediate financial and legal consequences taking months and even years to untangle. The move is required by a law enacted two years ago to discourage identity theft.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will to begin mailing the new cards with Medicare beneficiary identifiers (MBIs) in April, 2018. That's when the agency will begin mailing out new cards to more than 57 million elderly and disabled beneficiaries. They'll be instructed to destroy their old cards after they get the new one. New cards may be used right away.  No final prototype of the new card has been unveiled, but the MBI will have 11 characters, a combination of randomly generated numbers and upper-case letters. That will easily distinguish the MBI from the familiar Medicare number, which is based on Social Security numbers.


During a transition period through 2019, providers can use the MBIs  or health insurance claim numbers on transactions such as billing and claims.  Medicare chief Seema Verma said the Trump administration is aiming for "a seamless transition" over a 21-month period that will involve coordination with beneficiaries, family members, hospitals, doctors, insurance companies, pharmacies and state governments.
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Margy Wenahm has been working as an independent insurance agent for over twenty (25) years in Redding, California.  She can be reached at 530.221.0955, by email at Margy@MargyWenhamInsurance.com or through her Websites, www.InsuredByMargy.com, www.MedicareSupplementsByMargy.com.

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