The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization ACT of 2015 mandates the removal of the current Social Security number-based identification (ID) numbers from Medicare cards to address the risk of medical identity theft for Medicare beneficiaries. Therefore, beginning April 2018 and continuing through April 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will issue new cards to Medicare beneficiaries that contain a new unique ID number, the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI). This number, which will be 11 characters in length, is a combination of numbers and uppercase letters.

CMS offers educational material to assist you in answering questions from your Medicare patients about the new Medicare cards. To view and download material for your office, please visit the CMS website.

Please note that the new Medicare cards do not replace the Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement (Medigap) ID cards issued by Independence. Providers should continue to submit claims using the Independence-issued ID number for their Medicare Advantage patients. Claims for members in a Medicare Supplement plan are typically forwarded to health insurers from Original Medicare.