N ew Medicare ID cards are coming . What do the new ID cards mean for you ?
Beginning April , 2018 , new ID cards will be mailed to Medicare beneficiaries . Medicare has provided the beneficiaries with multiple notifications of the new ID cards to prepare them for the change .
What will the changes be , and what do they mean for your practice ? The major change is the removal of the patient ’ s social security number . It will be replaced by a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier ( MBI ). This initiative is designed to protect your patients ’ identities . Do you always swap out your old insurance card for the new one ? As providers , we know that patients will
present you with every insurance card they have in their wallet . Be on the look-out for the new card .
Medicare is providing a transition period before it is mandated that you must use the new MBI . Providers
have until December 31 , 2019 to ensure they have all systems in place to accommodate the change .
LISA FISCHER-HERDT
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WERE CARDED ?
NEW MEDICARE ID CARDS ARE COMING
Medicare has provided free marketing material for providers . You can obtain posters for the lobby and also tear-off sheets in English and Spanish , to provide to their patients . You can access the marketing assets here .
There are a few things that you will need to do to ensure that you are prepared for this change . Begin by confirming that your EMR is compatible with the new ID format . Also confirm that your biller is equipped for these changes . This will prevent any interruption to your revenue cycle . The great news is that DS3 is prepared . Preparedness is the key to success .
Lisa Fischer-Herdt is the Director of Billing Services for Four Pillar Billing . She can be reached at lisa @ 4pillarbilling . com .