New Medicare Cards Coming Soon!

You asked, and Medicare listened.  Medicare will distribute new cards between April 2018 and April 2019.  For security purposes, your Social Security number will no longer be included on the cards.  Instead, a new Medicare Number will be displayed on the card along with the programs you are enrolled in.  This change will help to keep your information more secure from identity theft.  The image to the right is an example of what the new cards will look like.

You will get a new Medicare Number that’s unique to you, and it will only be used for your Medicare coverage.  The new number will be a combination of numbers and uppercase letters.    The new card will not change your benefits or coverage.  Additional information will be mailed to you along with the new card.

Here are some steps that you can take now to get ready for the new cards:

• Make sure your mailing address is up to date. If your address needs to be corrected, contact Social Security at ssa.gov/myaccount or 1-800-772-1213.  TTY users can call 1-800-325-0778.

• Beware of scammers and anyone who contacts you about your new Medicare card. Medicare will never ask you to give personal or private information in order to receive the new number and card.

• Please be patient. Your card might arrive at a different time than your friend’s or neighbor’s card.

While the new Medicare cards will no longer contain a Social Security Number, you may not want to carry them in your wallet, to protect yourself from identify theft.