New Medicare Cards to Be Issued in 2018
In 2018, Medicare will no longer use Social Security Numbers for identification. Instead, the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) will issue new cards giving each patient a unique Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI).
This change is brought about by a law passed by Congress to attempt to halt the growing amount of identity theft surrounding Medicare. The new cards are set to be sent out in April 2018, and will help to keep your identity secure. If you are contacted about your new card, ensure that who you are speaking with is a Medicare representative.