The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) requires CMS to remove Social Security Numbers (SSNs) from Medicare beneficiary ID cards and issue new cards with Medicare Beneficiary Identification (MBI) numbers.
CMS will start mailing the new Medicare Beneficiary ID cards with the new MBI numbers to participants beginning in April 2018. They are allowing an 18-month transition period that ends December 31, 2019. During the transition period, physicians and other providers may submit a Medicare claim using either the participant's valid and active Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN) or the new MBI number.
All Medicare claims submitted after January 1, 2020, will be required to use the new MBI number. Claims filed with the participant's old HICN will be rejected, at that point.
With these new criteria, MO HealthNet will also have a transition period from April 1, 2018 through December 31, 2019, in which we are able to accept either the new MBI number or the old HICN. Effective January 1, 2020, providers will only be able to submit the new MBI number with all claims that are submitted to MO HealthNet.
Please be aware dual eligible Medicaid and Medicare participants are starting to receive their new Medicare cards. If a MO HealthNet participant contacts you with a question regarding his or her card and its anticipated arrival time, please direct the participant to this website: https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/using-medicare/your-medicare-card
Please inform participants of the following, if they ask:
- New cards protect their identity by removing social security numbers
- New cards have a unique number that is unique to them
- The participants’ new Medicare cards will automatically come to them; they don’t need to do anything