The CMS initiative to remove social security numbers from all Medicare cards by April 2019 is fully under way. Personally, I’m very excited by this news because it represents a huge leap forward in protecting patient privacy and will lower the risk of identity theft for the entire Medicare population. Starting next month, CMS will send out new cards with the new MBI (Medicare Beneficiary Identifier) to Medicare beneficiaries. Not all beneficiaries will get their cards right away- CMS has a full year to replace them and has published a mailing schedule online.
For more information about this change, including the format of the new MBI and tips on how to prepare, CMS has published an MLN Factsheet for providers. Check out the fact sheet below, and visit CMS for additional information.
