Medicare to begin sending out new cards in April
Starting in April 2018, Medicare will be sending out new Medicare cards. Medicare is doing this in hopes of preventing fraud and identity theft.
Historically, a person's Medicare number was the same as their social security number. This will be changing. Each person currently on Medicare will receive not only a new card, but a new Medicare number as well.
If you are currently enrolled in Medicare, don't worry. The new card will be mailed to you automatically and come at no charge. There is nothing required on your side. If you need to update your official address, visit https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount to do so. Keep in mind that not everybody will receive their cards at once, so you may experience some delay compared to your friends, family or neighbors.
There will be no changes to any benefits you currently receive via Medicare. Your healthcare providers know about this change and will be asking you for your new card, so be sure to keep it with you.
If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, note that this will still be your primary Medicare insurance. Keep it with you and use it as your main card, though you will also want to carry the new Medicare card in case it is asked for.
When you receive your new Medicare card, be sure to take the following steps:
Destroy your old card.
Carry your new card with you. Your healthcare professionals will need it to process your claims.
Beware of scammers. Be wary of anybody contacting you via telephone for your new number or attempting to charge a fee for your new card. These are not legitimate callers.
For more information on the new cards, visit Medicare's website.
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