What Information Is On Your Medicare Card
Besides your full name, your Medicare card includes your Medicare number as well as important information about the health insurance coverage to which you are entitled. This includes:2
- Medicare numberThis is one of the most important pieces of information on your Medicare card. Its what the billing department will use when it submits for reimbursement from Medicare. Your Medicare number used to be your Social Security number , but now its a more secure, randomly generated combination of 11 numerals and capital letters. It is confidential and should only be shared with people you trust.3
- Part AIf you have Part A, labeled HOSPITAL, you are entitled to care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility, hospice care and home healthcare. The date your coverage begins is also included.4
- Part BIf you have Part B, labeled MEDICAL, you are entitled to medical care and preventive services. Your coverage starting date for Part B is also included.5
If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you will receive a separate ID card. If your plan covers prescription drugs, your MA card will include that information too. You should use your MA card as your primary Medicare card, but you should still keep your Medicare card in a safe place.
Good to Know
Your Medicare number is no longer your Social Security number, but a more secure combination of letters and numbers that helps protect you from identity theft.
What Your Medicare Card Should Contain
When you receive your Medicare card, there a few things you should do right away. The first of which is to review the information on the card for its accuracy.
Check to see that your name is spelled correctly. Your name is located under beneficiary and has a claim number below it. The claim number should be the same as your Social Security number, with a letter or letters behind it. Make certain the numbers are the same as your Social Security number.
Moving down to the middle of the card, you will find a description of the coverage you are eligible to receive. Be certain the type of coverage you signed up for is what appears on the card . Part A is the portion of Medicare that provides coverage for hospital stays, home healthcare and hospice. Part B covers doctor visits and outpatient services and care.
If there is any incorrect information on your card, or you have a question or questions regarding your coverage or card information contained on it, there is a toll-free number located on the top portion of your Medicare card. This is the number for you to contact a Medicare Health Insurance representative. Call Medicare Health Insurance at Medicare .
And finally, at the bottom of the card will be a signature line. If all the information on your card is correct, be certain to sign your name on the signature line indicated.
Replacing Your Medicare Card
If your Medicare card is lost, stolen or damaged, you can apply for a replacement card online through the My Social Security Account at the Social Security website. You will have to set up an account if you havent already done so.
How to Apply for a Replacement Medicare Card Online
Your replacement card will be mailed to your address on file with Social Security. It should arrive in the mail in about 30 days.
You will receive a new Medicare ID number when you apply for a replacement card. If you need your new number before the replacement card arrives, you can log on to myMedicare.gov and print out an official copy of your new card.
You can also apply for a replacement card over the phone at 1-800-633-4227 .
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Using Your Medicare Card
You can use your Medicare card to access any of the following:
- a range of medical services and prescriptions at a lower cost
- care as a public patient in a public hospital
- cheaper medicines at a pharmacy under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
Read more about getting health care and Medicare.
Its easiest if you take your Medicare card or number with you when you go to the doctor or hospital. You may also need it when you submit a prescription at a pharmacy.
You can also use the digital copy of your card. You can use this if you dont have your Medicare card with you.
When you make a Medicare claim, we need to match the information to the details on your Medicare card. Your card has your name on it. If you have a partner or children, your card may also list their details. If it does, its a good idea to get an extra card. You can only get one extra card.
What Will My Mbi Look Like
Your MBI will be a randomly generated 11 character alphanumeric number, meaning it will contain both letters and numbers. This is to make sure its completely different from your SNN. However, it will still fit in all HICN fields as both numbers are the same length.
The new Medicare card format is actually designed to cut down on confusion, which is why your MBI will not include the letters S, L, O, I, B, or Z, as they can easy to be confused with numbers 5, 1, 0, 1, 8, and 2.
Recommended Reading: What Does Medicare Part A
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Add Medicare Supplement Coverage
When you get your Original Medicare card, you may not notice some of the out-of-pocket expenses that come with it. Medicare out-of-pocket costs include deductibles and copays that youre responsible for. And if you travel, you may not be covered for emergency healthcare services.7
To help offset these costs from your Original Medicare plan, you can purchase a Medicare Supplement plan from a private insurance company. There are several plans to choose from,7 but plan premiums vary from company to company. Our service can help you compare costs.
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The New Medicare Cards 201: Frequently Asked Questions
If you havenât already heard, everyone will be getting new Medicare cards in the mail! The new Medicare cards are scheduled to be sent from April 2018-April 2019.
Until now, your social security number has been on your Medicare card, and a lot of people didnât like this â itâs certainly a security threat. A Medicare card is easy to lose, and if it gets into the wrong hands, you could be at risk for identity theft.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services heard the complaints and decided to change the Medicare card. Your social security number will no longer be on your card at all. Now, your card will display your new Medicare Beneficiary Identifier , and that number can be used for things like billing, finding out your eligibility status, claim statuses, and more.
So, not only will you be receiving a new Medicare card, but you will also be assigned a new Medicare Beneficiary Identifier , which is also called a Medicare Number.
What Do Mbis Mean For People With Medicare
The MBI doesn’t change Medicare benefits.
People with Medicare who belong to a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare drug plan should keep using their Medicare Advantage and/or Medicare drug plan cards like they always have when they get health care services or fill a prescription. People with Medicare will also need their MBIs when they change plans or are admitted to the hospital.
Recommended Reading: Are Hospital Beds Covered By Medicare
Can You Still See Your Doctor If You Lose Your Card
You should be able to. If your doctors office has a recent copy of your Medicare card, they may already have your Medicare information on file. Many health practices update their records annually and may ask for your card.
Sometimes doctors can look up your Medicare information without requiring your card if they have access to the Medicare Administrative Contractor portal. Youll need to provide your full legal name, birthday and SSN.7
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.
Also Check: Is Medicare Advantage Part Of Medicare
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What Does The New Medicare Card Look Like
The new Medicare card is black, white, and blue, and it contains your full name, your new Medicare Beneficiary Identifier , and the date in which your Medicare Part A and B coverage starts.
Here is a sample of what the new Medicare card looks like:
This new card is different from the old one in the following ways:
- Your sex is no longer on the new card
- Your signature is not on the front of the new card
- Your âMedicare Claim Numberâ has been replaced with your new Medicare Number
- The design is slightly different
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New Medicare Cards To Protect Patient Identity
Whether a person is receiving Medicare through Social Security or through the Railroad Retirement Board , the patient may be vulnerable to identity theft due to the SSN/RRB Claim number being present on their Medicare card.
Soon, you wont need to worry about someone obtaining your personal information from your Medicare card. Starting in April 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services , in conjunction with the RRB, will begin issuing new cards with a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier or MBI. These cards will be sent in phases to existing Medicare beneficiaries, and by April 2019, all Medicare/Railroad Medicare cards will be free of personally identifiable information. This includes the removal of the gender and signature line.
Here is what an MBI will look like:
- It will have 11 characters
- The numbers will be generated randomly. Medicare considers them non-intelligent numbers that dont have any hidden or special meaning
- It will be unique to each patient
- It will contain capital letters and numbers
- The 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 9th characters will always be a letter, while
- Characters 1, 4, 7, 10, and 11 will always be a number, and
- The 3rd and 6th characters will be a letter or a number
- There will be no dashes in the numbers on the card
To learn more about the layout of an MBI, please visit this CMS webpage .
When Will I Receive My Medicare Card
Medicare eligibility begins for most people at age 65. If youre collecting Social Security benefits beforehand , youll be automatically signed up for Medicare Part A, and you should receive your Medicare card in the mail about three months prior to your 65th birthday. Meanwhile, if you qualify for Medicare because of a disability, youll get your card in the mail about three months before your 25th month of receiving Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.
If you need to sign up for Medicare yourself youll generally get your card in the mail within 30 days of enrolling.
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The Following Is A Brief Explanation Of The Other More Common Codes:
Code B claimant is drawing on their living spouses work record. B applies to a wife drawing on a husbands record, while B1 is for a husband drawing on a wifes record. Numerical suffixes continue to 9 . The spouses or ex-spouses Social Security Number will be the first nine numbers for anyone with the suffix code in the B category.
Code C this category applies to child Medicare beneficiaries. Numerical suffixes following C indicate the childs relationship to the primary claimant. The youngest child gets code C1, the next youngest gets C2, and so on through C9 and then from CA to CZ.
Code D this category is for anyone claiming based on a deceased spouse solely due to age. D and D1 represent a widow or widower over 60 and are the most common codes. Other codes apply to surviving divorced spouses, as well as widows and widowers who remarry.
Code E this category applies to widows and widowers who are also parents of qualifying children. E is a particularly complicated category given the many variations.
Code F this is the parent category. These codes are assigned to dependent parents of the worker who earned Medicare benefits. All F codes are followed by a number to signify the relationship.
Code H indicates Medicare eligibility due to disability. HA means you are a disabled claimant. HB means you are the wife of a disabled claimant. HC means you are the child of a disabled claimant.
Tips For Using Your New Medicare Card
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services offers tips to people with Medicare on how to use your new card and what to do if you need a replacement card.
- Be sure to show your new Medicare card at the doctors office or medical facility. Your health care providers need your MBI number so that they can do routine things with Medicare, such as file medical claims on your behalf.
- If you are enrolled in a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan, be sure to carry your Part D Plan card and show it at the pharmacy when you pick up prescriptions.
- If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, the Medicare Advantage plans card is your main card for health care services. Be sure to carry your Medicare Advantage plan card and show it whenever you receive care.
- Even if you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan, providers may ask to see your new Medicare card to record your MBI. You may want to carry your Medicare card. If you dont, you or your provider can look up your MBI. You can log into www.mymedicare.gov to get your MBI once you have set up an account. Your doctors office can access a secure web site portal hosted by the regional Medicare Administrative Contractor to get your MBI.
- You can call 800-MEDICARE 24 hours a day 7 days a week if you didnt receive your new Medicare card or you need a replacement. You can also go online and log into your mymedicare.gov account and print a copy of your new Medicare card.
New To Medicare?
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What Your Medicare Card Looks Like
Once you have been deemed qualified to receive Medicare benefits, you will be issued a red, white and blue card, identifying you as a Medicare beneficiary. The card contains sensitive personal information on it. The information identifies you by name and contains your Social Security number, followed by a letter that delineates what type of coverage you have under the Medicare program. It will also show if you have coverage for Medicare Part A, Medicare Part B, etc. And, your signature will be shown at the bottom of the card.
