New Medicare Cards are soon to be in the mail! The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will begin mailing new cards to people with Medicare benefits beginning in April 2018. This comes as an effort to meet the statutory deadline for replacing all existing Medicare cards by April 2019. The new Medicare card will no longer display your social security number (SSN) as your Medicare ID, rather each Medicare beneficiary will be issued a random alphanumeric-based number.
When will I get my new Medicare Card?
Medicare beneficiaries should use the new card once they get it, but either the SSN-based or the new Medicare card with the random alphanumeric-based number can be used through December 2019. Beginning January 1, 2020, only the new card will be usable.
I’m New to Medicare
New and existing Medicare enrollees will get the new Medicare card. New enrollees will get the new card starting in April 2018. Current enrollees will begin receiving a replacement card sometime between April 2018 and April 2019, state by state.
To Prepare for Your New Medicare Card:
This change does not impact your Medicare benefits in any way, nor does it impact your Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage, or Medicare Part D benefits.
Make sure your address is up to date so you get your new Medicare card. If your address needs to be corrected, Social Security is the organization who keeps all of the current contact records, even though the new Medicare card is from Medicare. If you haven’t done so already, you can create an online account at ssa.gov and update your address. If online access isn’t your thing, or you would rather talk to someone directly, you can call Social Security at 800-772-1213 and take care of it all over the phone.
Your new Medicare card may arrive any time between April 2018 and April 2019. You may get your card at different times from your friends and neighbors.
Please be on the ALERT to possible scams: Medicare will never contact you and ask for personal and private information in order to issue a new Medicare card or number.
If you are new to Medicare and need help call us 877-740-8683, we can point you in the right direction.
You want to enroll in Medicare 3 month prior to turning 65, and you can enroll by calling Social Security at 800-772-1213, or by going online at www.ssa.gov.
If you have Medicare and would like to compare rates on your Medicare Supplement Plan click here