The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced today that new Medicare beneficiary cards will be mailed out beginning next spring without Social Security numbers on them.

The new cards, which will have a randomly generated alpha-numeric Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI), are part of CMS’ effort to curb identity theft, fraud and protect taxpayer dollars.

CMS will begin mailing new cards in April 2018, but said it is announcing the move now to allow providers to prepare for the new identification numbers. Congress has mandated that all Medicare cards be replaced by April 2019, and a 21-month transition period will give providers the opportunity to switch to MBI at their own pace, said CMS officials.

“We’re taking this step to protect our seniors from fraudulent use of Social Security numbers which can lead to identity theft and illegal use of Medicare benefits,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “We want to be sure that Medicare beneficiaries and healthcare providers know about these changes well in advance and have the information they need to make a seamless transition.”

CMS has a website dedicated to the Social Security Removal Initiative where providers can find the latest information and sign up for newsletters. CMS also is planning regular calls to share updates and answer provider questions before and after new cards are mailed.