A notice from CMS (Medicare)

As a reminder, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has removed all Social Security Number (SSN)-based Health Insurance Claim Numbers (HICNs) from Medicare cards and are now using Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBIs) for every Medicare member. Beginning January 1, 2020 you must use the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) on all healthcare transactions, with very few exceptions, to prevent rejections.

During the CMS transition period ending 12/31/19, we will continue to process eligibility transactions with either the HICN or MBI. However, CMS will be actively monitoring MBI vs. HICN utilization rates and reaching out to submitters to discuss MBI usage in eligibility transactions. Therefore, it is highly encouraged that providers begin updating their systems now to submit the MBI only as soon as possible. This will ensure that your business processes are not negatively impacted by the MBI changeover on January 1, 2020.