CMS will soon begin mailing out new Medicare cards to all beneficiaries that contain NEW Medicare Beneficiary Identification (MBI) numbers. The new Medicare identification numbers will no longer contain Social Security Numbers and are intended to help protect individuals’ identities. Below is important information related to the issuance of new Medicare cards:
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New Medicare cards will be assigned to all Medicare beneficiaries
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Be sure Medicare has up to date mailing address for you. If you are not sure, visit their website at Social Security
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The new cards will contain an 11 character identifier that is unique to each beneficiary
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The mailing will occur between April 2018 and April 2019. Beneficiaries should be patient; they may receive their card at a different time than a friend or neighbor
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Once beneficiaries receive their new card they are encouraged to destroy their old card and begin using the new card right away
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This does not affect any Medicare Supplement ID card or member ID # with any other health plan.