The four different parts of Medicare are each identified by a letter: A, B, C and D. The number displayed on your Medicare card, however, is known as the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier and is randomly generated for you. What is the meaning of these Medicare letters?
Full Answer
What does the letter a mean in my Medicare number?
It denotes a primary claimant who is retired and has paid into the Medicare system as a wage earner for at least 40 quarters. It’s important to understand that the letter codes in your Medicare number have nothing to do with enrollment in the various parts of Medicare that are also identified by a letter A, B, C, or D.
What are the different types of Medicare letters?
There are 10 Medicare Supplement Plans to choose from, identified by letters: Plan A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M and N. Note that Medigap coverage options are referred to as “plan” (e.g., Medigap Plan A) as opposed to “part” (Medicare Part A hospital insurance). Do you have more questions about Medicare letters?
What does the code on my Medicare card mean?
The code may only appear on your Medicare card but it is assigned by the Social Security Administration to identify the category you qualify under to claim benefits. The number portion could be your spouse’s Social Security number to indicate you qualify for benefits because of your relationship to them.
What do the letters after a Social Security number mean?
Meaning of the letters after a Social Security or Medicare number. / By. The Social Security number followed by one of these codes is often referred to as a claim number. We assign these codes once you apply for benefits. These letter codes may appear on correspondence you receive from Social Security or on your Medicare card.
What do the letters in Medicare mean?
There are four parts of Medicare: Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D. Part A provides inpatient/hospital coverage. Part B provides outpatient/medical coverage. Part C offers an alternate way to receive your Medicare benefits (see below for more information). Part D provides prescription drug coverage.
What are the letters after the Medicare number?
“A” identifies the primary claimant (wage earner) who has qualified for the benefits. “B” identifies a wife, age 62 or over, whose benefits are related to her husband's record. Adding a 1 (B1) identifies a husband receiving benefits based on the wife's record. “D” is a widow and "D1" is a widower, aged 60 or over.
What does the letter B mean at the end of Medicare number?
Code B — claimant is drawing on their living spouse's work record. B applies to a wife drawing on a husband's record, while B1 is for a husband drawing on a wife's record. Numerical suffixes continue to 9 (with B9 being the Medicare number suffix for a third husband).
What does C2 on Medicare card mean?
“C” indicates you are the child of a primary claimant. Numerical suffixes following “C” indicate which child you are in relation to the primary claimant. For example, if you are the first child, your suffix is C1; if you are the second child, your suffix is C2; and so on.
How do I read my Medicare number?
The IRN appears to the left of the patient's name on their Medicare card. This is not a unique identifier. While your Individual Reference Number is the number to the left of your name on your card, your Medicare Card Number is the 10 digit number that appears above your name, across the top section of the card.
Do Medicare numbers have letters?
MBIs are numbers and upper-case letters. We'll use numbers 0-9 and all letters from A to Z, except for S, L, O, I, B, and Z. This will help the characters be easier to read. If you use lowercase letters, our system will convert them to uppercase letters.
What does C1 mean at the end of a Medicare number?
Their SSN will be the first nine digits on your Medicare card. When you are the child of a primary claimant, code “C” will appear. Suffixes following “C” indicate your relationship to the primary claimant. “C1” means you are the first child, “C2” means you are the second child and so forth.
Is Medicare Advantage A or B?
Medicare Advantage Plans are another way to get your Medicare Part A and Part B coverage. Medicare Advantage Plans, sometimes called “Part C” or “MA Plans,” are offered by Medicare-approved private companies that must follow rules set by Medicare. Most Medicare Advantage Plans include drug coverage (Part D).
Do Medicare cards have letter O?
What kinds of characters are in the MBI? MBIs are numbers and upper-case letters. We use numbers 1-9 and all letters from A to Z, except for S, L, O, I, B, and Z. If you use lowercase letters, our system will convert them to uppercase letters.
What does the letter B mean after your Social Security number?
The Social Security number followed by one of these codes is often referred to as a claim number. We assign these codes once you apply for benefits....What do the letters after a Social Security or Medicare number mean?CodeIdentificationBAged wife, age 62 or overB1Aged husband, age 62 or over32 more rows
What does D mean on a Social Security award letter?
Aged Widow, age 60 orD. Aged Widow, age 60 or over. D1. Aged widower, age 60 or over.
What does D after a Social Security number mean?
disabled childChild – Includes minor, student or disabled child. D. Aged Widow, age 60 or over.
What does the A on Medicare number mean?
“A” at the end of your Medicare number indicates you are a retired wage earner and primary claimant. The numerical part of your Medicare number matches your Social Security Number.
How to contact Medicare for letter code?
For further information about Medicare letter codes and other Medicare symbols, you can contact the Medicare Administration toll-free at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4277). For information about Medicare supplement insurance, Medicare Advantage, and all your best healthcare options, contact MedicareMall today! © 2013 MedicareMall.com.
What does the suffix A mean on Medicare?
Besides the letter A, which indicates you are a primary claimant who has paid into the Medicare system as a wage earner, there are 33 other common codes that appear at the end of Medicare Claim Numbers to identify the nature of eligibility.
What is the HA code on my Medicare card?
If your Medicare number includes the HA code, your Social Security appears in your Medicare number. If your Medicare number includes the HB or HC code, your disabled spouse’s or parent’s Social Security number represents the first nine digits of your Medicare number.
How many digits should be in a Medicare claim?
The first nine digits of a Medicare Claim Number should match the nine digits of the cardholder’s Social Security Number or, often, the nine digits of the cardholder’s spouse’s, parent’s, or child’s Social Security Number. Whether the nine digits of your Medicare number match your Social Security Number or another person’s Social Security Number ...
What does C mean in a claim?
Code C. “C” indicates you are the child of a primary claimant. Numerical suffixes following “C” indicate which child you are in relation to the primary claimant. For example, if you are the first child, your suffix is C1; if you are the second child, your suffix is C2; and so on. If your suffix code is in the “C” category, ...
Where is the Medicare claim number located?
Some Medicare recipients, however, are confused about letter coding appearing at the end of a Medicare number, or Medicare Claim Number, which is located on the front of every Medicare card right under the name of the beneficiary. Most people will recognize the numerical part of their Medicare number immediately.
What do the letters after a Social Security number mean?
What do the letters after a Social Security or Medicare number mean? The Social Security number followed by one of these codes is often referred to as a claim number. We assign these codes once you apply for benefits.
What is the claim number for Medicare?
These letter codes may appear on correspondence you receive from Social Security or on your Medicare card. They will never appear on a Social Security card. For example, if the wage earner applying for benefits and your number is 123-45-6789, then your claim number is 123-45-6789 A . This number will also be used as your Medicare claim number, ...
What does "A" mean in Medicare?
“A” means you are a retired wage earner and the primary claimant. Typically, you paid into the Medicare system during your working years over a period of at least 40 quarters.
What is the suffix C in Medicare?
“C” indicates you are the child of a primary claimant. Numerical suffixes following “C” indicate which child you are in relation to the primary claimant. If you are the first child, your suffix is C1; if you are the second child, your suffix is C2; if you are the third child, your suffix is C3; and so on. In all, numerical suffixes following C go all the way to number 9, depending on the order of birth of siblings. If your suffix code is anything in the “C” category, your primary claimant parent’s Social Security Number, and not your own, will constitute the first nine numbers of your Medicare Claim Number.
What does E mean in Social Security?
“E” alone indicates you are the widowed mother of a primary claimant. Other suffixes in the “E” category include E1 for the surviving divorced mother of a primary claimant; E2 for the second widowed mother of a primary claimant; E3 for the second divorced mother of the primary claimant; E4 for the primary claimant’s widowed father; and E5 for the primary claimant’s surviving divorced father. “E” may be a particularly complicated category given these convoluted variations. In all cases, the primary claimant’s Social Security Number will constitute the first nine digits of a Code “E” claimant’s Medicare number.
