New Medicare Health Insurance Cards For Those Over Age 65 and Medicare Eligible
In an effort to prevent fraud, fight identity theft, and keep taxpayer dollars safe, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is removing Social Security Numbers (SSN) from Medicare cards in a year-long phased approach, beginning April 2018.
The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015 requires the removal of Social Security Numbers (SSN) 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.
Between April 2018 and April 2019, CMS will mail the new Medicare cards to all people with Medicare in phases by geographic location. People with Medicare will receive a new Medicare card in the mail, and will be instructed to safely and securely destroy their current Medicare card and keep their new Medicare number confidential. Issuance of the new number will not change benefits that people with Medicare receive.
Medicare members will receive their new card automatically in the mail to their address on file with CMS. Addresses can be updated by Medicare members contacting Social Security at ssa.gov/myaccount or 1-800-772-1213.
Please see the attachment for information from CMS about how the new Medicare cards will look, and what details will be included in the mailing to Medicare members.
Note that Medicare will never call asking for personal information. Beware of anyone who contacts a Medicare member asking about personal information, or about their new Medicare card.
More information can be found at:
https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/New-Medicare-Card/index.html
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2/text