As part of a plan to reduce the likelihood of identity theft, CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) is mailing new Medicare cards to all 58 million Medicare beneficiaries. The mail-out will begin in April of 2018 and last for approximately a year, with the cards going out in waves based on your state of residence. Important Information About Your New Medicare Card
Why is Medicare Mailing Out New Medicare Cards?
Medicare cards have traditionally contained a beneficiaries Social Security number featured prominently on the card. With the increasing prevalence of identity theft, particularly among seniors, legislation passed in 2014 set a plan in place to replace all existing Medicare cards with a new card that does not contain your Social Security number.
In place of the Social Security number, the new cards will have an 11-digit unique, alpha-numeric identifier. This number, called the MBI (Medicare Beneficiary Identifier), is unique to you and tied to your Medicare account.
What Do You Need to Do to Get Your New Medicare Card?
Nothing. The Medicare cards are going out automatically starting in April. The first wave of cards will go out between April 2018 and June 2018 and will be sent to residents of the following states: Alaska, American Samoa, California, District of Columbia, Guam, Hawaii, Maryland, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Other states will follow in subsequent months. By April 2019, all of the new Medicare cards should be in the hands of Medicare beneficiaries across the country.
You should always make sure that Medicare and Social Security have your current, most accurate address. You can correct any inaccuracy in your address by contacting Social Security at 800-772-1213 or online at http://ssa.gov/myaccount.
What Changes As a Result of the New Medicare Card?
The new Medicare card does not affect anything about your Medicare benefits or how you receive them. When you receive your new Medicare card, you should immediately destroy your old card and begin using your new Medicare card.
Remember, your old Medicare card contains your Social Security number, so you should take care to destroy it properly instead of just discarding it in the regular household trash.
The new Medicare card does not change anything about your Medigap or Medicare Advantage cards or coverage. And, the identification numbers on those cards are not changing as a result of the new Medicare cards.
A Word of Caution Regarding the New Medicare Cards
Medicare has cautioned seniors against related scams in which scammers may attempt to contact you directly about the new cards.
It is important to note that Medicare will not call you regarding your new Medicare card or require you to pay for your new card or provide personal information in order to receive it.
All you have to do is wait for your new card to arrive by mail, immediately destroy the old card and begin using the new card.
Important Information About Your New Medicare Card
Important Information About Your New Medicare Card Important Information About Your New Medicare Card Important Information About Your New Medicare Card Important Information About Your New Medicare Card Important Information About Your New Medicare Card Important Information About Your New Medicare Card Important Information About Your New Medicare Card Important Information About Your New Medicare Card