Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) Numbers
The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) required CMS to remove Social Security Numbers (SSNs) from all Medicare cards by April 2019.
Social Security Number (SSN)-based Health Insurance Claim Numbers (HICN) have been removed from Medicare cards and replaced with MBI numbers.
Beginning January 1, 2020, you MUST submit claims using MBIs (with a few exceptions), no matter the date of service.
Transition Period
The transition period is ongoing through December 31, 2019. During this period you can use either the HICN or the MBI to exchange data with CMS.
Your Document Plus Software
Document Plus has made software adjustments to accommodate new MBI numbers.
Under the "Information 1" tab in any patient record, you will notice the addition of "MBI" followed by a data entry field designed for entry of the MBI number in the specified alphanumeric format.
The previously used "HIC" field will be removed following the transition period and mandatory MBI use date of January 1, 2020.
What You Need to Do
Begin collecting MBI numbers from Medicare beneficiaries as they come into your office
Ask beneficiary if he/she has a new Medicare card
If he/she has not received a new card, verify the beneficiary’s address (he/she will not get a new card if their address is incorrect)
If the address on file is different than address in eligibility response, ask your beneficiary to contact Social Security Administration (SSA) at 1-800-772-1213 to update their record.
DOCUMENT PLUS USERS
Once your system update is complete;
**Enter MBI numbers into the MBI field in “Information 1” of your patient's database record.
(The MBI number will then appear in the header of your daily visit documentation instead of the previously used HIC number when Medicare format is selected.)