Medi-Cal Identification Card Format

BIC format

The permanent BIC is a plastic card with printing on the front and black. There are two formats currently in use.

BIC Cards

BIC Card

Front of the BIC

The front of the BIC contains the following basic information about the client:

Client’s name
Sex: Removed 09/01/2021 from BIC card.
- M (male) or
- F (female)
Date of Birth (MMDDYYYY)
Issue Date (MMDDYY): date the card was issued by EDS
Recipient ID Number (alphanumeric, 14 characters): Client Index Number (CIN) followed by a “check digit” followed by a 4-digit Julian (calendar) date that matches the date of issuance on the BIC.

Note: Prior to March 26, 2003, the Social Security Number (if available) was printed on the front of the BIC. In order to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards and to protect the identity of clients, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) made some changes on the front of the BIC. New or replacement BICs issued on or after March 26, 2003 have the CIN printed on the front of the BIC instead of the client’s SSN.

Back of the BIC

The back of the BIC contains a magnetic strip which allows the provider to access the CA-EV/CMS via the Point-of Service (POS) device. Below the magnetic strip is a box for the BIC client’s signature, followed by a message indicating that the card is for identification purposes only, possession of the card does not guarantee eligibility, and that misuse of the card is unlawful.

Signature Requirements

The BIC client must sign the back of the card upon receipt, except for clients who are:

Under 18 years of age, or
In Long Term Care, or
Unable to sign the BIC because of a disability determined by the provider.
The EW must inform all applicants and clients or Authorized Representatives that they must sign the BIC upon receipt. The EW is NOT required to witness the signature.

The Paper Card

The front of the Paper Card has the same information that is found on the front of the BIC (client’s name, ID number, sex, and date of birth). The Paper Card has the “Good Thru Date” showing that the card is valid for identification purposes for a limited time only. The client’s signature is required on the front of the card.

The back of the Paper Card contains general instructions to the clients when using the card. It also contains the Social Security Administration (SSA) phone number for SSI clients to contact when needed.

Note: If there are extenuating circumstances the temporary paper card can be scanned and sent via secure email to the client. The email address must belong to the client and the email must be encrypted.

Client Index Number

The Client Index Number (CIN) is a unique identifier assigned to an individual. The CIN is different from the pseudo ID number.

The CIN begins with a 9, followed by 7 numeric digits, then an alpha character and ends with a “check digit” (i.e. 91234567A 2).

The CIN is recorded on MEDS to allow other state programs to use it for identification and indexing purposes. The CIN may not be altered by the County.