Medicare Blog

what does it mean to have a medicare number end in b6

by Elda Barrows Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago

B6 = divorced wife. B9 = divorced second wife. C. = child of retired or deceased worker; numbers after. C denote order of children claiming benefit.

What does the Medicare suffix “B” mean?

Other Medicare suffixes in the “B” category include: B1 for the husband (62 years or older) of a primary claimant If your suffix code is one of the above or any other code in the “B” category, your spouse’s or ex-spouse’s Social Security Number, and not your own, represents the first nine numbers of your Medicare Claim Number.

What do the codes at the end of my Medicare number mean?

The codes at the end of your Medicare number are solely to indicate Medicare eligibility. The codes do not reflect what type of coverage you have enrolled in. If you are enrolled in Part A and/or Part B, this information will be on the front of your Medicare card under the heading “IS ENTITLED TO”.

What do the numbers on a Medicare claim mean?

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. There are also many less common codes, a list of which can be found in Section 50.

What do the letters after a social security or Medicare 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 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 does the M1 suffix mean on Medicare?

If a person is not eligible for Part B coverage but not Part A, Code “M” will appear on their card. If you are eligible for Part A but have refused it, the “M1” suffix will appear. Medicare Claim Numbers ending in “T” mean you are eligible for for Medicare Part A, but not for retirement benefits. This could be because you suffer from chronic kidney ...

How many digits are in Medicare?

The first nine digits of your medicare number should look familiar to you. Most times, they match your social security number. However, there are some cases where it will be the SSN of your spouse, parent or child instead.

What is the Medicare code for a wife?

These codes indicate Medicare eligibility. For example, assume you are the wife (62 years or older) of the primary claimant, and your husband’s SSN is 555-55-5555. Your Medicare number would be 555-55-5555-B.

What is the Medicare code for primary beneficiary?

Relationships to the Primary Beneficiary Codes. The most common code is code “A”. This simply means you are the primary claimant who has become eligible for Medicare through paying into the Medicare system for over 40 quarters.

What is the code for Medicare if you are married?

If you are married to or divorced from the living primary claimant, Code “B” will appear on your card. Their SSN will be the first nine digits on your Medicare card.

What does HC mean in Medicare?

“HA” will appear for the disabled claimant, while HB means you are the wife of a disabled claimant (62 or over). “HC” is for the child of a disabled claimant .

Where is my Medicare claim number?

Your Medicare Claim Number is located on your Medicare card underneath the beneficiary name. Providers use this number to provide Medicare covered services. It is also the number you will provide to the Social Security Administration when discussing your Medicare account and terms. The first nine digits of your medicare number should look familiar ...

What is the Medicare card number?

The number displayed on your Medicare card, however, is known as the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier and is randomly generated for you.

What is Medicare Part A?

Medicare Part A is hospital insurance and provides coverage for inpatient stays at hospitals and skilled nursing care facilities, among other inpatient services.

What is Medicare Supplement Insurance?

Medicare Supplement Insurance, also called Medigap, uses a letter system to identify its plans. Medicare Supplement Insurance is used in conjunction with Part A and Part B of Medicare to provide coverage for certain out-of-pocket expenses like some Medicare deductibles and coinsurance.

How many Medicare Supplement Plans are there?

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).

How many characters are in a Medicare card?

The Medicare number displayed on Medicare cards (known as an MBI, or Medicare Beneficiary Identifier) is 11 characters long: The 2nd, 5th, 8th and 9th characters are always a letter, and the 3rd and 6th characters are sometimes a letter.

What is the meaning of MBI?

All other characters will be numbers, and the letters S, L, O, I, B and Z will never be used. The MBI is randomly generated and is “non-intelligent,” which means it contains no hidden or special meaning and is therefore more difficult for someone to use to steal your identity or commit fraud.

When did Obama end Medicare cards?

President Obama signed a bill in 2015 that will end the use of these numbers on Medicare cards. Medicare has four years to start issuing cards with new identi­fiers.

What is the C code for Medicare?

Code C – this category applies to child Medicare benefi­ciaries. Numerical suffixes following “C” indicate the child’s 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.

What is a W1 card?

W is for widows and W1 is for widowers, while those who’ve been previ­ously married may have different W‑category codes. Most retiree’s Medicare cards currently begin with their Social Security number, which is the most valuable piece of infor­mation for an identity thief.

What is the difference between B1 and B1?

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). The spouse’s or ex-spouse’s Social Security Number will be the first nine numbers for anyone with the suffix code in the “B” category.

What is the code for widows?

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.

What does the number portion of a spouse's Social Security number mean?

The number portion could be your spouse’s Social Security number to indicate you qualify for benefits because of your relationship to them. The nature of your eligi­bility is then indicated by the letter code that follows.

Does Medicare card have a letter code?

Letter codes following the Social Security number on Medicare cards do not indicate the type of insurance.

What is my Medicare number?

There is an easy answer to this question. Your Medicare number will be their Social Security number with a “B6” if you are the divorced spouse and will be “D6” if you are the divorced surviving spouse.

What does an A on my Social Security number mean?

An “A” at the end of your Social Security number indicates that you receive Medicare benefits because you paid into the program while you were working. If your Medicare eligibility is based on someone else’s work history, such as a current spouse, deceased spouse, or ex-spouse, yours will be a completely different Social Security number followed by ...

What does the T mean on my Social Security number?

You having a “T” at the end of your Social Security number informs me that you are not receiving your Social Security check yet. The “T” stands for temporary and when you receive your Social Security check, then your Medicare number will change from ending in a “T” to having “A” at the end.

Why do people have an A on their Medicare card?

Therefore, your friends and co-workers have an “A” on their Medicare card because they are already receiving their Social Security check. There are more than 30 letter codes which can be attached to a Social Security number to make up a person’s Medicare number with “A” being the most common.

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