Time's (nearly) up: if you haven't transitioned to Medicare's new patient identifier system, you need to make the switch by December 31.

Recently, the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the 21-month period for transition to the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) is nearly complete, meaning that beginning January 1, 2020, claims submitted with Health Insurance Claims Numbers (HICNs) will be rejected.

The MBI cards feature a unique Medicare identification number that helps CMS move away from identifications that contain the beneficiary's Social Security number. The change, intended to thwart fraud, was required by provisions in the Affordable Care Act and the Small Business Jobs Act.

According to CMS, participation is already high: it estimates that as recently as the week of October 4, 80% of all fee-for-service claims were submitted with MBIs

Providers can learn more about the MBI system by way of a Medicare Learning Network MLN Matters article as well as CMS guide to understanding the MBI format. CMS also offers beneficiary-focused flyers on the new system in English and Spanish.