It should be no surprise that Medicare is making changes.  As CMS frequently makes updates and changes to policy.  This time, it's to protect Medicare beneficiaries from fraud/abuse of their Social Security numbers, prevent identity theft, protect privacy etc.  According to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), "CMS will issue new Medicare cards with a new unique, randomly-assigned number called a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) to replace the existing Social Security-based Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN) both on the cards and in various CMS systems we use now. We’ll start mailing new cards to people with Medicare benefits in April 2018. All Medicare cards will be replaced by April 2019."

This impacts the beneficiaries and providers.  There will be a time period for adjustments when either number will be accepted while the changes are taking place (April 2018-April 2019). However, by April 2019, only the MBIs will be in use.   

This information is provided by Medicare News with Novitas-Solutions.  

Here's the link for providers: https://www.novitas-solutions.com/webcenter/portal/MedicareJH/page/pagebyid?contentId=00153900&_afrLoop=6125639258512#!%40%40%3F_afrLoop%3D6125639258512%26contentId%3D00153900%26_adf.ctrl-state%3D15a4xzfiy7_55

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