Protect Your Medicare Number Like A Credit Card
Only give personal information, like your Medicare Number, to health care providers, your insurance companies or health plans , or people you trust that work with Medicare, like your State Health Insurance Assistance Program .
Say no to scams
Medicare will never call you uninvited and ask you to give us personal or private information. Learn more about the limited situations in which Medicare can call you.
How Can I Change My Information
Although most of the updates that you make to your Medicare information are done through MyMedicare, changing your address and other information is a different story. This is because Medicare uses the information that you have on file with Social Security.
If you need to update your address, you will have to log into your My Social Security account in order to update your information for both Medicare and Social Security.
Cancel Old Medicare Reassignments:
Once you have secured your existing PTAN or PTANs you will want to check your existing reassignments.
When a physical therapist, occupational therapist, or speech language pathologist is employeed by a private practice, that therapist is required to reassign Medicare benefits to the employer.
Once you have terminated that employment either you or the previous employer should deactivate and cancel the existing reassignment.
It is ultimately your responsibility to ensure your reassignments have been terminated.
Watch the video below for more information on finding your Medicare PTAN.
Don’t Miss: Does Walmart Take Medicare For Glasses
What Is Healthy Louisiana
Healthy Louisiana is the way most of Louisianaâs Medicaid recipients receive health care services. As soon as you or family members are eligible for Medicaid, you need to choose a Healthy Louisiana Health Plan to manage your or your family members health care. If you do not choose a health plan, Healthy Louisiana will choose one for you or your family. Compare health plans to find the best plan for you. If you have questions, call Healthy Louisiana at 1-855-229-6848 .
How Do I Find My Medicare Number If Im A New Beneficiary
New to Medicare? Your Social Security account can also provide your Medicare number online. This is true even if you havent started to receive any Social Security benefit yet.
You can also order a replacement card in your online SSA account. In your account, you will select the replacement documents tab to find this option.
It takes 30 days on average to receive your replacement card in the mail. Be sure to double-check your mailing address on file with Social Security to ensure proper delivery.
Need more help? Phone numbers and other Medicare resources
For your Medicare number, call 1-800-MEDICARE to reach the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services .
Your local Medicare pro is also a great resource and can help get you enrolled in Medicare.
In addition to helping you compare coverage and rates for Medicare plans like Medicare Supplement insurance or a Medicare Advantage plan we can also help you with the basics. We gather information for you, advocate on your behalf, help you fill out the correct forms, answer questions, and so much more.
You May Like: What Is Step Therapy In Medicare
Where Is This Number Located
This number is located on your Medicare card. It is also on most of the documentation you receive from Medicare or the Social Security Administration.
Alternatively, you can also visit your local Social Security Administration office or .
If you are automatically enrolled in Medicare, you will receive your card in the mail three months before your 65th birthday or before the 25th month you receive your disability benefits.
There is additional important information located on your Medicare card for you and your doctor.
This includes your name and sex. Additionally, it states whether you have Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B , and lists the dates that Part A and B first started.
Lastly, sign your Medicare card prior to use.
Enrollment In Original Medicare And The Receipt Of Your Medicare Id Card Will Be Automatic If You Meet One Of The Following Conditions
- If you are turning age 65 and receiving Social Security Insurance or Railroad Retirement Board benefits, your Medicare ID card will arrive three months before your 65th birthday. Coverage usually begins the first day of your birthday month. If your birthday is on the first day of the month, coverage usually starts the month prior.
- If you are under age 65 and have received Social Security disability benefits for 24 months, your Medicare ID card will arrive during the 25th month you have been receiving disability benefits. Coverage starts at the beginning of the 25th month you have been receiving disability benefits.
- If you have Lou Gehrigs disease and begin receiving your Social Security disability benefits, you will receive your Medicare ID card the first month your disability begins. Coverage also starts the first month your disability benefits begin.
You May Like: Can You Get Medicare At 60
Replacing Your Medicare Card
Medicare cards are valid for 5 years. Well send you a new card before your old one expires. You dont have to do anything unless your address has changed. If it has, update your details so the card gets to you.
If youve lost your card or its been stolen or damaged, you can replace your Medicare card.
How Do I Find My Medicare Number On My Card
First, your Medicare number can be found on the Medicare card sent to you in the mail from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services .
The card has a horizontal blue banner at the top, white background in the middle and strip of red at the bottom.
You will see the words Medicare Health Insurance at the top of the card.
In the middle, you will see your Medicare number! It is a mix of letters, numbers and dashes. It is 11 digits long. It is unique to you and your health insurance.
Finally, you will see more information toward the bottom of your card. It will state that you are entitled to HOSPITAL and MEDICAL . These are the two main programs under Original Medicare.
On the bottom right-hand side, you will see the dates that reflect when your Medicare coverage began.
Recommended Reading: What Does Medicare Cover Australia
Where Can You Find Your Medicare Claim Number
- Your Medicare claim number, or Medicare Beneficiary Identifier is an 11-character number Medicare uses to identify you. Learn how to find your number and how to use it to file a Medicare claim or track your Medicare claim status.
On the front of your Medicare card is a number that is 11 characters long, consisting of numbers and uppercase letters. This is your Medicare claim number, also referred to as a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier .
To avoid confusion between letters and numbers, Medicare does not use the letters S, L, O, I, B or Z. So if your Medicare claim number contains an O, it is the number 0 and not the letter O.
Medicare previously used a persons Social Security number to file claims. But over the course of 2018 and 2019, Medicare issued new cards to all beneficiaries with a randomly assigned number that is unique to each person. This was done to help protect the personal identifying information of Medicare beneficiaries and to help minimize identity theft and other forms of fraud.
If you have lost your Medicare card, log into MyMedicare.gov to print another temporary copy. You may also call 1-800-MEDICARE and follow the prompts for help replacing a lost or stolen card.
How Do I Find My New Medicare Id Number
There are 3 ways you and your office staff can get MBIs:Ask your Medicare patients. Ask your Medicare patients for their Medicare cards when they come for care. … Use your MAC’s secure MBI look-up tool. You can look up MBIs for your Medicare patients when they don’t or can’t give them. … Check the remittance advice.Mar 19, 2020
You May Like: Do Any Medicare Supplement Plans Cover Dental And Vision
National Provider Identifier Standard
The National Provider Identifier is a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Administrative Simplification Standard. The NPI is a unique identification number for covered health care providers. Covered health care providers and all health plans and health care clearinghouses must use the NPIs in the administrative and financial transactions adopted under HIPAA. The NPI is a 10-position, intelligence-free numeric identifier . This means that the numbers do not carry other information about healthcare providers, such as the state in which they live or their medical specialty. The NPI must be used in lieu of legacy provider identifiers in the HIPAA standards transactions.
As outlined in the Federal Regulation, The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 , covered providers must also share their NPI with other providers, health plans, clearinghouses, and any entity that may need it for billing purposes.
More detailed information is available on the pages listed in the left hand column of this page.
Whats On A Medicare Card
Your Medicare card will provide doctors, hospitals and other health care providers with all the information they will need to determine what kind of Medicare coverage you have and how much to bill Medicare for your medical services.
The Four Things on Your Medicare Card
Read Also: Will Medicare Help Pay For Hearing Aids
Recommended Reading: What Is Medicare Chronic Care Management
Is Medicare Dependent On Social Security
Unlike Social Security benefits, Medicare eligibility is not dependent on retirement. However, if you are already receiving Social Security benefits at the age of 65, you will automatically be enrolled in Medicare. It is important to note that even if you are automatically enrolled in Part A and Part B, you still must apply to Part D separately …
Does Private Medicare Have Group Numbers
Original Medicare is not group coverage and therefore has no corresponding group number. But private Medicare plans may have a group number associated with the plan.
Private Medicare insurance includes:
- Medicare Part C . These plans provide all the same benefits as Medicare Part A and Part B while also typically offering some additional coverage for things not found in Original Medicare like dental, vision, prescription drugs and more.
- Medicare Part D . Medicare Part D provides coverage for prescription medications, which is a benefit not covered by Original Medicare.
- Medicare Supplement Insurance . Medicare Supplement Insurance works alongside your Original Medicare coverage by picking up the cost of certain deductibles, copayments, coinsurance and other out-of-pocket costs associated with Medicare Part A and Part B.
Members of these plans may see a group number on their card that corresponds with their coverage. Instead of being grouped by company as you might in an employer-sponsored plan, beneficiaries of private Medicare plans may be grouped by area and plan type.
Read Also: Does Medicare Pay For Hip Replacement Surgery
How Do I Know If My Child Is Due For A Texas Health Steps Checkup
Texas Health Steps will send you a letter when itâs time for your childâs medical and dental checkups. You can also visit YourTexasBenefits.com or call the number below to find out if your child is due for a checkup.
Phone
Recommended Reading: How To Get A Free Car Seat Through Medicaid 2020
Medicare Online Account Help
Learn how to get your own Medicare card and number using your Medicare online account, or the Express Plus Medicare mobile app.
The screenshots in this guide are from a computer. The screen layout will look different if youre using a mobile device.
You can get your own card online if you meet all of these requirements:
- youre living in Australia and youre an Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen or you have a permanent resident visa
- youre 15 or older
- youre only on one Medicare card
- your current Medicare card has other people on it
- youre not the contact person of your current Medicare card
- you want your own Medicare card with just your name on it.
Read Also: Do You Have To Pay Medicare Part B
What If I Lose My Card
If you lose your card, or it gets damaged or stolen, don’t worry.
You can either log in to your Medicare account and print an official copy of your card or get a replacement card.
If you want a replacement card, you can log in to your social security account, select the Replacement Documents tab, and click on the Mail my replacement Medicare card option.
You can also get a replacement card by calling 1-800-MEDICARE . Your replacement card should reach you within 30 days.
Before you request a replacement card, make sure you update your current address in your Social Security account to prevent delays.
What To Do If You Already Receive Retirement Benefits
If you already receive retirement benefits, then your enrollment in Medicare will be automatic. This will be the case whether your benefits come from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board.
Three months prior to your 65th birthday, you should receive a package in the mail with your red, white, and blue Medicare card along with additional information about your enrollment. Your Medicare card will contain your Medicare number, which will be used to identify you and allow you to receive your benefits.
Recommended Reading: What Is Aarp Medicare Supplement
Missed Or Canceled Appointments
When members do not show up for a scheduled appointment, it creates an unused appointment slot that could have been used for another member. It is very important to keep appointments and call the provider in advance if you cannot make it to a scheduled appointment. Medicaid providers cannot bill a member for no-show/missed appointments. However, a provider may discharge a member from their practice after so many no-show/missed appointments. The provider must have the same policy for Medicaid members as non-Medicaid members, and must notify Medicaid members that the policy exists.
Recommended Reading: Dental Care That Accepts Medicaid
How To Replace Your Medicare Card
Call 1-800-MEDICARE and follow the automated prompts for reporting and replacing a lost or stolen card. You may also print a temporary copy of your card through your MyMedicare.gov account.
About the author
Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with MedicareAdvantage.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles hes written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.
Christians work as a Medicare expert has appeared in several top-tier and trade news outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, WebMD and Yahoo! Finance.
Christian has written hundreds of articles for MedicareAvantage.com that teach Medicare beneficiaries the best practices for navigating Medicare. His articles are read by thousands of older Americans each month. By better understanding their health care coverage, readers may hopefully learn how to limit their out-of-pocket Medicare spending and access quality medical care.
Christians passion for his role stems from his desire to make a difference in the senior community. He strongly believes that the more beneficiaries know about their Medicare coverage, the better their overall health and wellness is as a result.
A current resident of Raleigh, Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelors degree in journalism.
Also Check: Can I Change Medicare Plans Anytime
Where Can I Find Information About A Nursing Homes Health Or Fire
Health and fire-safety inspections with detailed and summary information about deficiencies found during the three most recent comprehensive inspections and the last three years of complaint investigations are found on the Medicare.gov Nursing Home Compare website.
Nursing Home Compare allows consumers to search for a nursing home based on location and compare the quality of care they provide and their staffing. Nursing Home Compare has detailed information about every Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country.
For information about Louisiana nursing homes or any other nursing home inquiry, contact the LDH Health Standards Section, Nursing Home Program Desk at 225-342-0114 or visit the Louisiana Nursing Home Association website. Nursing home providers are required to post the results of their most recent inspection in the facility.
Recommended Reading: Does Medicare Or Medicaid Cover Cremation
What If I Dont Want My Medicaid Doctors And Providers To See My Health Information Through This Website
You can âopt outâ of sharing. âOpt-outâ means that you choose not to share your health information. To opt out, go to and then:
You can also opt out by calling 800-252-8263. If you opt out, we wonât share your health information with Medicaid doctors or other providers.
Read Also: Aged Blind Disabled Medicaid Nj
Recommended Reading: Can You Have Private Health Insurance And Medicare
How Does The Medically Needy Spend
Medically Needy provides Medicaid eligibility to qualified individuals and families who may have too much income to qualify for regular Medicaid programs. Individuals and families who meet all Medicaid program requirements, except that their income is above those program limits, can spend-down or reduce their income to Medicaid eligibility levels using incurred medical expenses.
Identity Theft Or Identity Swapping
Identity theft is when someone uses your personal information to commit fraud.
But can someone steal your identity with just your Medicare card or number? Unfortunately, they can.
Watch now:Hear an actual medicare scam phone call shared by the FTC ->
With medical identity theft, the scammer uses personal information like your Medicare number to access medical care. For example, they might see a doctor, get prescriptions, or file claims with your insurance provider.
See the scam in action:
If a criminal uses your personal health information for identity theft, you could end up with:
- Bills for services and prescriptions you never received.
- Charges for treating conditions you do not have.
- Notices from your health insurance company about maxed out benefits.
- Denied insurance coverage, or an increase in your annual insurance costs because of a false pre-existing condition on your medical record.
Pro tip: Sign up for a family identity theft monitoring plan. For example, Aura can track and alert you if your or a loved oneâs SSN is at risk online. And if the worst happens, all adult members are covered by a $1,000,000 insurance policy for eligible losses due to identity theft.
ð Related: The Top 10 LifeLock Competitors & Alternatives For 2022 â
Recommended Reading: What Age Does Medicare Take Effect
