CMS Issues Update on Transition to Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers

Beginning in October and continuing through the transition period for the new Medicare beneficiary identifiers, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will return both the Health Insurance Claim Number and MBI on the remittance advice when a provider submits a claim with a valid and active HICN, according to new CMS guidance. CMS plans to begin mailing new Medicare cards to beneficiaries in April, which will replace the Social Security-based number on the current cards with an MBI. Providers will have until Dec. 31, 2019 to transition to the new identifier for billing and other Medicare transactions. For more on the initiative, see the AHA’s July Regulatory Advisory for members.