Dear Marci,

I’ve heard that there are going to be new Medicare cards. How do I get mine and what should I do with it?

-Anita (Fairbanks, AK)

Dear Anita,

New Medicare cards will soon be on their way. If you are already enrolled in Medicare, you will receive your new card sometime between April 2018 and April 2019, based on where you live. As long as your address with Social Security is up-to-date, there is nothing you have to do to receive your new Medicare card. If your mailing address is not up-to-date, call 800-772-1213, visit www.myssa.gov, or go to a local Social Security office to update it. You do not have to pay anything for your new card.

Medicare beneficiaries are getting a new card because the old Medicare cards contain a Medicare number typically based on their Social Security number (SSN). Recent legislation requires the removal of the Social Security number from Medicare cards. This is intended to address the risk of identity theft that might result from Medicare cards containing people’s Social Security numbers. Beginning this year, the Medicare number based on your Social Security number is being replaced with a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI). The new number is made up of 11 uppercase letters and numbers. The MBI is unique, randomly generated, and the characters will be non-intelligent, which means they do not have any hidden or special meaning. The new Medicare numbers and cards will not change Medicare benefits at all.

Once you get your new card, you should keep it safe, as you would with credit cards and other insurance cards. You should bring your new card with you when you visit your health care providers. As soon as you have your new card, your providers will be able to use it to bill Medicare on your behalf. There will be a transition period, from April 2018 to December 2019, during which providers will be able to bill Medicare using either the old or new Medicare numbers and cards. Starting in January 2020, though, providers will only be able to use the new Medicare number for most claims. To prevent any delay in receiving services or having them paid for, you should bring your Medicare card to your provider right away. Once you have your new card, you should safely and securely destroy your old card.

There are some concerns about scams that take advantage of people who are confused about the transition to new Medicare cards. Here are some important things to keep in mind:

• Social Security and Medicare already have your personal identifying information. This means that unless you ask them to, they will never call, email, or visit you. They will not ask for your Medicare number or other personal information to send you a new card.
• There is no charge for your new card, so no one should contact you requesting payment.
• You should continue to check your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) or Explanation of Benefits (EOB) and billing statements regularly and carefully, and to look out for any suspicious charges. Use a calendar to track your doctors’ appointments and services to be able to quickly spot fraud or billing mistakes.

If anyone contacts you requesting personal information or payment related to the new card, you should call 1-800-MEDICARE to report the activity. You can also contact your local Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP). To contact your SMP, call 877-808-2468 or visit www.smpresource.org.  

If, in reviewing your MSN, EOB, or billing statement, you find a suspicious charge, contact your provider’s office to check if there has been a billing error. If you are unable to solve the issue through speaking with your provider’s office, you should contact your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for assistance. To contact your SHIP, visit www.shiptacenter.org or call 877-839-2675.

-Marci