2911.5 Explanation of Social Security Numbers, Health Insurance Claim (HIC) Number, and Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI)

It is important to distinguish between the beneficiary's Social Security number, Health Insurance Claim (HIC) number, and Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI). The Social Security number is the number assigned to an individual by Social Security and is used throughout a wage earner's lifetime to identify his or her earnings under the Social Security program.

Health Insurance Claim (HIC) Number - T1. The HIC number is the Social Security number of the individual on whose earnings Social Security benefits are being paid. The claim number includes an alphanumeric suffix known as the Beneficiary Identification Code (BIC), which designates the type of benefits the individual is receiving (such as wage earner's, spouse, or child's benefits). An example of a HIC number is 501234567D. The HIC number may be obtained from SSA or RRB, the TBQ interface, BENDEX, TPQY, or SDX records. In some instances, an individual may be entitled to benefits under both Social Security and RRB. All benefits will be awarded under either the Social Security HIC number or the RRB claim number. Eligibility staff should verify which HIC number to use by contacting the local SSA office. Occasionally, a HIC number change may occur if an individual becomes entitled to benefits on another Social Security record or when an individual's status on his or her account changes.

Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) – The Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) is the consumer’s Medicare claim number. It is a unique identifier that has replaced the Health Insurance Claim (HIC) number on Medicare cards to help combat identity theft. The MBI consists of eleven characters, both alphabetic and numeric, and will be used instead of the HIC number on provider transactions. An example of the MBI is 1EG4-TE5-MK73. The MBI number may be obtained from the beneficiary’s Medicare card, letter of notification of eligibility for Medicare, premium notice, utilization notice (Explanation of Medicare benefits), or the TBQ interface.