The New Medicare Card: What You Need To Know
The new Medicare card should start arriving this month, through April 2019, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
This is what your new Medicare card will look like according to Medicare.gov.
The mailing process will take place in stages and People with Medicare who are newly eligible in New Jersey should be receiving their new Social Security card after June 2018.
What’s Different About the New Medicare Card?
The major difference between the new card and the old one is the removal of your Social Security Number (SSN). This is due to the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, which calls for the “PROHIBITION OF INCLUSION OF SOCIAL SECURITY ACCOUNT NUMBERS ON MEDICARE CARDS.”
In place of the SSN, the new Social Security card will have a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI), which leaves you more protected. However, “the MBI is confidential like the SSN and should be protected as Personally Identifiable Information.”
What You Should Know
Your card should arrive without any intervention on your part, says Medicare.com. If you’ve changed your address, though, visit your my Social Security account.
If you receive a phone call related to your new Medicare card, requesting information or a payment, it’s a scam. Hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE. “Medicare will never call you uninvited and ask you to give us personal or private information to get your new Medicare Number and card.”
Your new card comes ready to use. When you receive it, destroy your old one. You have no more need for it and it contains sensitive information.
“If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO), your Medicare Advantage Plan ID card is your main card for Medicare—you should still keep and use it whenever you need care. However, you also may be asked to show your new Medicare card, so you should carry this card too.” [1]
The new Medicare card is all about protecting your personal information, so make sure to follow Medicare’s guidelines and keep your personal and card details safe.
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[1] https://www.medicare.gov/forms-help-and-resources/your-medicare-card.html