Your red-white-and-blue paper Medicare card is similar to other health insurance cards you may have had in the past. It acts as proof that you have Medicare health insurance, and it provides the starting date (s) of your coverage. Did You Know? A red-white-and-blue paper Medicare card is mailed to adults who are turning 65 and enrolled in Medicare.
What is a Medicare card and what does it do?
You use your Medicare card when:
- making a Medicare claim for a paid or unpaid doctor's account
- visiting a doctor who bulk bills
- receiving treatment as a public patient in a public hospital
- filling a Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) prescription at a pharmacy
Why have I not received my Medicare card?
It's sent to people who:
- Go to Social Security to sign up for Medicare
- First sign up for Social Security retirement benefits (at age 65 or older)
- Automatically get Medicare with less than 3 months before coverage starts (usually for people under age 65 with certain disabilities)
Are they sending out new Medicare cards?
You’re getting a new Medicare card! Between April 2018 and April 2019, we’ll be removing Social Security numbers from Medicare cards and mailing each person a new card. This will help keep your information more secure and help protect your identity. You’ll get a new Medicare Number that’s unique to you, and it will only be
When will I get my Medicare card?
You should receive your Medicare card in the mail in the 25th month after you receive your first Social Security check. For individuals with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease), you will automatically be enrolled in Medicare the same month that your disability benefits begin.
Is Medicare red and blue card?
Key Takeaways. Medicare will send you a red, white and blue card in the mail. This card will include your unique Medicare number and the start date of your Parts A and/or B benefits. If you are enrolled in Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, Medigap or Part D prescription drug plan, you will receive separate cards.
Is Medicare changing the red white and blue card?
For Medicare Advantage members: Your new red, white and blue Medicare card does not replace your Priority Health Medicare Advantage membership card. You don't need to use your new red, white and blue Medicare card when receiving services—just keep it in a safe place, as you'll need it to join, leave or switch plans.
What do the different Medicare letters mean?
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 color S is a Medicare card?
Medicare ID – Traditional Medicare The card has three stripes – red, white, and blue – at the top and the logo of the Department of Health & Human Services on the front. It shows your name, gender, Medicare ID number (important), and your coverage: Part A and/or Part B. It also shows the date your coverage begins.
How do you read a Medicare card?
A Medicare Individual Reference Number (IRN) is a number that represents the position of a person on a Medicare card....ExampleThe Card Number is 1234567890 for the entire family.John Smith's Individual Reference Number (IRN) is 1.Helen Smith's IRN is 2.James Smith's IRN is 3.Jessica Smith's IRN is 4.
Do you automatically get a Medicare card when you turn 65?
You should receive your Medicare card in the mail three months before your 65th birthday. If you are NOT receiving benefits from Social Security or the RRB at least four months before you turn 65, you will need to sign up with Social Security to get Parts A and B.
What does the letter mean after the Medicare number?
After the numerical sequence, there will be a letter or a letter followed by another number. 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 are the 4 parts of Medicare?
Thanks, your Guide will be delivered to the email provided shortly.Medicare Part A: Hospital Insurance.Medicare Part B: Medical Insurance.Medicare Part C: Medicare Advantage Plans.Medicare Part D: prescription drug coverage.
Whats the difference between Medicare Part A and B?
Part A is hospital coverage, while Part B is more for doctor's visits and other aspects of outpatient medical care. These plans aren't competitors, but instead are intended to complement each other to provide health coverage at a doctor's office and hospital.
What does a blue Medicare card mean?
Cards may be issued for individuals or families. The blue Medicare card bearing the words "INTERIM CARD" is for people who have applied for permanent residence.
Is there a black and white Medicare card?
Scammers falsely allege Medicare is issuing new plastic or metal Medicare cards or black and white Covid-19 Medicare cards. The scammers state that in order to get your new card, you need to provide personal identifying information such as your Medicare number, birth date or even financial account numbers.
Who gets yellow Medicare card?
A Yellow Medicare Reciprocal Health Care Card is issued to visitors to Australia who are residents of countries with which Australia has reciprocal health care agreements. Their access to Medicare services has time limitations and does not cover treatment as a private patient in a public or private hospital.
How Do I Get My Medicare Card?
Most Americans become eligible for Medicare at age 65, and sign up for Medicare during their Initial Enrollment Period. If you enroll during your I...
Requesting A New Medicare Card by Telephone
Call 1-800-772-1213 toll-free to start your request for a new card over the phone. Be advised there may be long wait times. Receiving your replacem...
Visiting Your Local Social Security Office to Request A New Card
Visiting your local Social Security office is the best way of getting proof that you are covered by Medicare if you need to present such evidence i...
Ordering Your Replacement Medicare Card Online
Requesting a new card online is the easiest way for most people to get a new Medicare card. The process is simple and the website is secure. Visit...
What If I’Ve Forgotten My Medicare number?
If you do not know your Medicare number, your primary care doctor should have it. If necessary, you can get your number by calling toll-free 1-800-...
What Do All Those Other Letters on My Medicare Card Mean?
Following the first nine digits of your Medicare Claim Number—which should match the nine digits of your Social Security Number (or, in some cases,...
What If I Change address?
Because much of your interaction with Medicare is likely to take place via the US Postal Service, it is important to inform Medicare promptly whene...
Can I Laminate My Medicare Card?
While Medicare officials generally do not encourage laminating your card, this is a matter of choice. There is no rule against laminating a Medicar...
What do the letters on my Medicare card mean?
What do the letters on your Medicare card mean? 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. All other characters will be numbers, and the letters S, L, O, ...
What is Medicare Part B?
Medicare Part B is medical insurance and provides coverage for outpatient doctor’s appointments and medical devices. Medicare Part C, also known as Medicare Advantage, provides coverage for everything found in Part A and Part B through one plan provided by a private insurer.
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.
Does Medicare cover dental insurance?
Many Medicare Advantage plans may also cover additional benefits not covered by Part A and Part B, such as prescription drugs, dental, vision, hearing, wellness programs like SilverSneakers and more. Medicare Part D provides coverage exclusively for prescription drugs.
How Do I Get My Medicare Card?
Most Americans become eligible for Medicare at age 65, and sign up for Medicare during their Initial Enrollment Period.
Requesting a New Medicare Card by Telephone
Call 1-800-772-1213 toll-free to start your request for a new card over the phone. Be advised there may be long wait times.
Visiting your Local Social Security Office to Request a New Card
Visiting your local Social Security office is the best way of getting proof that you are covered by Medicare if you need to present such evidence immediately to a healthcare provider.
Ordering Your Replacement Medicare Card Online
Requesting a new card online is the easiest way for most people to get a new Medicare card. The process is simple and the website is secure. Visit the Social Security Administration’s Replace a Medicare Card page and fill out the online application for a replacement card.
What Do All Those Other Letters on My Medicare Card Mean?
Following the first nine digits of your Medicare Claim Number—which should match the nine digits of your Social Security Number (or, in some cases, your spouse’s, parent’s, or child’s Social Security Number)—you will find a letter code reflecting the nature of your eligibility for Medicare.
What if I change address?
Because much of your interaction with Medicare is likely to take place via the US Postal Service, it is important to inform Medicare promptly whenever your address changes.
Can I Laminate My Medicare Card?
While Medicare officials generally do not encourage laminating your card, this is a matter of choice. There is no rule against laminating a Medicare card, and as long as lamination does not hinder electronic reading of your card, lamination is generally acceptable.
What is the Medicare beneficiary identifier?
Your new card uses a unique number called your Medicare beneficiary identifier (MBI). This identifier is a combination of letters and numbers. You use this number whenever you visit a health care provider, hospital, or other medical facility. The information that is printed on the face of your new card is: your full name, your MBI, ...
When will Medicare cards be sent out?
New Medicare cards are sent out three months before the month of a person’s 65th birthday. If you are waiting to get your Medicare benefits card but have not received it before your 65th birthday, be sure to contact your local Social Security Administration office or call a local CMS office.
Why was the original Medicare card modified?
The original card was modified to make it more secure and to protect the identity of all Medicare beneficiaries from fraudulent use. The initial transition period that took place from 2018 to 2019 provided scammers with a perfect opportunity to get personal information, and even money, from unsuspecting Medicare enrollees.
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.
What is a red white and blue Medicare card?
It acts as proof that you have Medicare health insurance, and it provides the starting date (s) of your coverage.
What is included in my 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 number —This is one of the most important pieces of information on your Medicare card. It’s what the billing department will use when it submits ...
How long does it take to get a replacement Medicare card?
According to the Health and Human Services Department, it can take about 30 days for your replacement card to arrive in the mail.
What happens if you lose your Medicare number?
If it is lost or stolen and gets into the wrong hands, you could be the victim of identity theft. Your personal information could be used fraudulently to obtain medical care or submit billing to Medicare in your name. Today, your Medicare number is no longer your SSN.
What is Part A in Medicare?
Part A —If 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 B —If you have Part B, labeled MEDICAL, you are entitled to medical care and preventive services.
Where to keep a medical card if you don't want to go to the doctor?
If you don’t want to carry the card with you when you’re not going to the doctor, you should keep it in a safe place at home, such as a locked desk drawer or a fireproof safe. Be sure to put it back in the same place every time once you’re done using it.
Do you need a separate ID card for Medicare?
If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (MA) 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.
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 (and their licensed agents or brokers), or people you trust that work with Medicare, like your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) A state program that gets money from the federal government to give free local health insurance counseling to people with Medicare. ..
Carrying your card
You’ll need the information on your Medicare card to join a Medicare health or drug plan or buy Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap), Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) An insurance policy you can buy to help lower your share of certain costs for Part A and Part B services (Original Medicare). so keep your Medicare card in a safe place.
How do you get another Medicare card?
My card is lost or damaged — Log into (or create) your Medicare account to print an official copy of your Medicare card. You can also call us at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to order a replacement card. TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.
