Social Security Numbers Will No Longer Be Used
To prevent identity theft and Medicare fraud, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will mail new ID cards to Medicare beneficiaries beginning in April 2018. The cards will have a new unique Medicare ID number instead of a number based on their Social Security Number (SSN).
Distribution of the cards will continue state by state through April 2019. The date for California’s mailing has not been set.
L.A. Care’s systems and procedures are ready to accommodate these new ID cards when they are made available in California. Until then, you may receive some inquiries from your patients, since CMS has already started promoting the new cards.
If you require additional information, please email Dan Salo, L.A. Care Senior Director, Medicare & CalMediConnect Ops, Medicare Operations.
An overview of the new ID cards is also available at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, including specific information for providers.