The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) has announced that they will distribute the new Medicare cards to California beneficiaries from April to June 2018.
During this time, L.A. Care will begin updating its systems with the new Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) number that replaces the Social Security-based Health Insurance Claim Number.
Providers are encouraged to tell their patients to contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) to provide their current address. To update an address, beneficiaries can contact the SSA toll-free at 1-800-772-1213, or visit a local SSA office.
L.A. Care Provider Resources
The L.A. Care new Medicare ID Card Team will be available to answer and triage questions from our providers or vendors about the distribution of the new Medicare ID Cards and MBI numbers. If you need more information or have questions, please email Dan Salo or call 1-213-694-1250, ext. 5754.
Provider Ombudsman CMS Resource
The Provider Ombudsman for the new Medicare card serves as a CMS resource for the provider community. The Ombudsman will ensure that CMS hears and understands any implementation problems experienced by clinicians, hospitals, suppliers and other providers. To reach the Ombudsman, please send an email to NMCProviderQuestions@cms.hhs.gov.
To learn more about what the change means for providers, you can also visit the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services New Medicare card page.