How To Get New Medicare Card Without Social Security Number

Medicare Requirements Impacting Your Calpers Health Coverage

If you’re Medicare eligible and you lose your Part A and/or Part B, you’ll be disenrolled from the CalPERS Medicare health plan. Your disenrollment from Part A and/or Part B may result in cancellation of your CalPERS health coverage.

CMS requires members to live in the approved plan service area and list a residential address. Post Offices Boxes are not permitted. If CalPERS is unable to verify your permanent residential address, your enrollment may be subject to cancellation, or you may be administratively enrolled in a Medicare Supplement plan to continue your CalPERS health coverage.

CMS must approve your enrollment in a Medicare Advantage plan and Medicare Part D plan. CalPERS and/or your CalPERS Medicare health plan may contact you to obtain additional information required by CMS to complete your enrollment. If you’re contacted for additional information, respond immediately to protect your health coverage.

You may be enrolled in only one Medicare Advantage plan at one time, as well as one Medicare Part D plan at one time. If you’re enrolled in a CalPERS Medicare health plan and later enroll in another Medicare health plan, you’ll be disenrolled from the previous Medicare health plan.

Guard Your Card And Protect Your Personal Information

• To help protect against identity theft, Medicare has mailed new Medicare cards to people with Medicare. Your new card has a new Medicare Number thats unique to you, instead of your Social Security Number.
• Dont share your Medicare Number or other personal information with anyone who contacts you by phone, email, or by approaching you in person, unless youve given them permission in advance.
• Medicare, or someone representing Medicare, will only call and ask for personal information in these situations:
• A Medicare health or drug plan can call you if youre already a member of the plan. The agent who helped you join can also call you.
• A customer service representative from 1-800-MEDICARE can call you if youve called and left a message or a representative said that someone would call you back.
• Only give personal information like your Medicare Number to doctors, insurers acting on your behalf, or trusted people in the community who work with Medicare like your State Health Insurance Assistance Program .
• Be familiar with how Medicare uses your personal information. If you join a Medicare plan, the plan will let you know how it will use your personal information.

If someone calls you and asks for your Medicare Number or other personal information, hang up and call us at 1-800-MEDICARE . TTY: 1-877-486-2048.

If you suspect identity theft, or feel like you gave your personal information to someone you shouldn’t have, contact the Federal Trade Commission.

Medicaid Or Medicare Savings Programs

Medicare beneficiaries with limited income or very high medical costs may be eligible to receive assistance from the Medicaid program. There are also Medicare Savings Programs for other limited-income beneficiaries that may help pay for Medicare premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance. There are specified income and resources limits for both programs. Contact your local county Department of Social Services or SHIIP to apply for one of these programs.

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Where To Submit Your Application

You may apply for your social security card at a Social Security office. Applications may also be mailed to the office, but if you are 18 or older and a social security card has never been assigned, you must apply in person. If you have a child of the age 12 or older who is also in need of a social security card, he or she must also apply in person. You may find the nearest Social Security office in the phone directory listed under the government section . For additional information you may call 1-800-772-1213 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, or search the Social Security Website at

Protect Yourself Going Forward

Once youve followed all the steps to get your replacement Social Security card, its wise to take action to protect yourself. You may have received a new physical card, but your Social Security number will remain unchanged, and anyone who comes into possession of your old card can use it to commit fraud. This may mean staying diligent about whats on your credit report for years to come.

The good news is theres a lot you can do to prevent your Social Security card from being used nefariously. In addition to taking steps to protect your identity, make sure your new card is stored safely and securely and only leaves your home or safety deposit box when absolutely necessary. Losing possession of your Social Security card can be a nerve-wracking experience, but youve got tools at your disposal to make sure its replaced quickly and your identity is protected for years to come.

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When Will My Medicare Card Arrive

As mentioned, the process of applying for Medicare can vary depending on your particular situation and how you qualify for Medicare. This will affect the timing of when your Medicare card arrives in the mail as well. If youre already receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board retirement benefits when you turn 65, youll be automatically enrolled in Medicare when you turn 65. Your Medicare card should be sent in the mail about three months before your 65th birthday. If you need to manually enroll in Medicare during your seven-month Initial Enrollment Period, the arrival of your Medicare card will depend on which month you signed up for Medicare. Your Initial Enrollment Period starts three months before your 65th birthday, includes your birthday month, and ends three months later.

If you qualify for Medicare because of disability, your Medicare card will arrive in the mail three months before your 25th month of disability benefits.

New Medicare Cards Will Be Issued Without Social Security Numbers

The Center of Medicare & Medicaid has announced its plan to remove Social Security numbers from Medicare ID cards. Social Security numbers have been used as the beneficiary identifier for administering services. But the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act requires CMS to remove Social Security numbers from Medicare cards because of identity theft and fraud risks. Medicare cards with a new ID number will be issued to approximately 60 million people. Notification of the changes will be sent out around January 2018. New cards will be mailed out by January of 2019

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Requirements To Continue Your Calpers Health Coverage

Before you turn 65, you must meet these requirements to continue your CalPERS health coverage:

Services You Use Cant See Your Information At Other Services

A government service, such as a health care organization, may save some of your information.The BC Services Card Program cant see the information a government service saves about you. The information is not shared between services.

For example:

• Police officers cant see your health records or medical history
• Doctors cant see your driving record

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Remove Social Security Numbers From Medicare Cards

The Social Security Administration advises Americans to keep their Social Security card in a safe place. At the same time, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services tells their beneficiaries to carry their Medicare card which includes their Social Security number with them at all times. What is a Medicare beneficiary to do? And what should the government do about this conflict?

If beneficiaries carry their Medicare card in their wallet, or their Social Security card for that matter, and it falls into the wrong hands they could be setting themselves up for identity theft and/or fraudulent benefit claims submitted to the Medicare program. For many years, members of Congress and government agencies, including the Social Security Administration and the U. S. Government Accountability Office , have called on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to remove Social Security numbers from Medicare cards.

The call for removing SSNs from Medicare cards continued. In 2014 the GAO testified at congressional hearings on ways CMS could reduce fraud in Medicare, including the removal of Social Security numbers from the millions of Medicare cards. CMS testified that they agreed with the GAOs recommendations, but at that time they could not proceed for several reasons including funding limitations and the lack of a process for developing and transitioning to a new identifier.

Should I Carry My Medicare Card With Me

You should bring your Medicare card along any time youre visiting a provider to receive medical treatment or going to a pharmacy to fill a prescription or when you go to a hospital. Otherwise, its a good idea to store your Medicare card in a secure place, like a filing cabinet or safe.

Youll use your Original Medicare card to fill prescriptions only if they are covered by Medicare Part B . In all other cases, youll use your Part D prescription drug plan when filling prescriptions.

You should not share that card with anyone in a non-medical capacity. For example, your bank does not need a copy of your Medicare card. Remember, even though Medicare cards no longer list Social Security numbers, they still contain personal information, like your unique Medicare ID number, so be careful about who sees that card. Keep in mind that Medicare will not call you over the phone asking you to confirm your personal ID number. If someone calls asking for that, assume its a scam.

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Why Renew Your Public Services Card

The Public Services Card assists you in accessing a range of public services in an easy and safe manner. If you are a Free Travel customer, an in date Public Services Card is required for you to use this service.

To ensure no interruption in services you are advised to renew your Public Services Card before it expires.

Using Your Medicare Card

Youll need to have your Medicare card with you any time you have any medical-related visits or services. This is true even if you have Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage or Medigap supplemental insurance.

Your regular doctor may make a copy of your card on your first visit so they will have it readily available on file. But pharmacies, testing labs, some doctors and other health care providers will require you to show it on each visit.

Be sure to let your doctor or other health care provider know if youve received a replacement or updated Medicare card. They will need the new information.

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Documents To Include With Form Ss

Once youve completed the form, youll need to gather the documents youre required to submit along with it to prove your identity, age, and citizenship statusthose of the person youre applying for a card on behalf ofor both. These documents typically include the following:

• An original birth certificate or other permissible proof of age, such as a passport, final adoption decree, or religious record of birth.
• An unexpired drivers license, passport, or state ID card to prove your identity, or if you dont have one of those, a military ID, employee ID, or another identity card.
• Additional evidence of citizenship, if you are not submitting a birth certificate or ID. If you arent a U.S. citizen, youll need evidence of immigration status.

The Social Security Administration will only accept originals or copies that are certified by the agency that issued the original. You cant use photocopies, even notarized ones.

If you plan to mail your documents to the Social Security Administration, get a certified copy of your drivers license from your state department of motor vehicles instead of sending the original.

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If Youre New To Medicare

Youll have to manually apply for Medicare if:

• You live in Puerto Rico. You may get automatically enrolled in Part A as described above, but youll need to sign up for Part B.
• You arent receiving retirement benefits yet.
• You have end-stage renal disease .

If you have end-stage renal disease , you can apply for Medicare at any time. Otherwise, youre first eligible to enroll during your seven-month Initial Enrollment Period, which typically starts three months before you turn 65, includes the month of your 65th birthday, and ends three months later. When your Medicare coverage begins and when you get your Medicare card depends on the month you sign up during this period.

If you dont enroll in Medicare during your Initial Enrollment Period, in most cases youll have to wait until the General Enrollment Period, which takes place from January to March 31 every year. You may have to pay a late-enrollment penalty for Medicare Part B .

Some people decide to delay Medicare Part B enrollment if they have other coverage, since Part B comes with a premium. If youre working and have health coverage through an employer, you can sign up for Part B with a Special Enrollment Period when you stop working or that coverage ends. You wont have to pay a late enrollment penalty if you sign up during a Special Enrollment Period.

If you worked for a railroad, youd apply for Medicare through the Railroad Retirement Board. Otherwise, youd sign up through Social Security.

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Keeping Your Medicare Card Safe

Keep your Medicare card in a safe place, and dont let anyone else use it. Always have your card handy when you call Medicare with questions.

You should take your Medicare card with you when you receive any health care services or supplies. Even if you havent reached your deductible, your doctor will need your card information to submit a claim. That claim will be applied to your deductible so you can use your benefits sooner. If you receive a new Medicare card, show it to your doctors office staff so they can make a copy of the updated information.

If you misplaced or lost your card, you can get a replacement Medicare card.

To learn about Medicare plans you may be eligible for, you can:

• Contact the Medicare plan directly.
• Contact a licensed insurance agency such as Medicare Consumer Guides parent company, eHealth.
• Or enter your zip code where requested on this page to see quote.

What If I Go Through Insurance

13News reached out to Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to see what information they use to process claims.

A spokesperson for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield said it “does not require providers to include the patients SSN when submitting a claim. Just name, date of birth, date of service, coding for the visit. Not social security numbers.”

A spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said “A doctors office would only need the data from a beneficiarys Medicare card to process a Medicare claim. Starting in April 2018, CMS began distributing new Medicare cards replacing the Social Security-based Medicare number with a new randomly generated Medicare number, for all Medicare beneficiaries in an effort to reduce Medicare and Social Security fraud and abuse.”

However, keep in mind, that a doctor or business can turn you away if you opt not to provide it.

Businesses that typically require your social security number are those that need to alert the IRS or comply with financial regulations.

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Replace A Suspended Seized Or Revoked Combined Bc Drivers Licence And Services Card

If your combined BC Drivers Licence and Services Card is revoked for medical reasons or seized/suspended for other reasons, in an emergency, you will not be denied essential medical services.

As soon as possible, you should:

Action Must Be Taken Now To Avoid Disruption

The new cards have a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier instead of the Social Security Number-based identifier known as the Health Insurance Claim Number .

Like HICNs, MBIs will be 11 characters in length and occupy the same field in Medicare transactions. However MBIs will be clearly distinguishable from HICNs and composed of only numbers and uppercase letters .

The transition from HICNs to MBIs will significantly impact physician practices workflows.

Practices must be prepared to use MBIs starting April 1, 2018, as patients new to the Medicare program beginning in April 2018 will only have cards with MBIs.

From April 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2019, CMS will accept both HICNs and MBIs on Medicare transactions for beneficiaries in the Medicare program prior to April 1, 2018 .

Beginning in Jan. 2020, physicians may only use MBIs.

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