Medicare Blog

what does the letter on my medicare card mean

by Miss Mae Nicolas IV Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Some other common letters for Medicare beneficiaries:

  • “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. ...
  • “D” is a widow and "D1" is a widower, aged 60 or over.
  • "E1" is a surviving divorced mother and "E5" is a surviving divorced father.

The nine numerals in your Medicare number identify the Social Security record serving as the basis of Medicare. The letter or letters following that number describe the relationship between the person with that record and the person whose name is on the card.Jun 25, 2018

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 4 letters on a Medicare card?

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?

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 is on my Medicare card?

Your red, white, and blue Medicare card is a valuable resource, and the best evidence that you are enrolled in Medicare. Most information on your Medicare card is straightforward and easy to understand. Other information is a little more confusing to some people with Medicare cards.

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What do the letters after a Medicare number mean?

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 does the letter B after the Social Security number on a Medicare card mean?

wifeThe Medicare people simply use the Social Security claim number as your Medicare number. Currently, your wife is claiming benefits on your account. “B” is the symbol the Social Security Administration uses to denote wife's benefits. When you die, your wife will be claiming widow's benefits on your record.

What does the letter mean after my Social Security number?

claim numberThe letters at the end of a SSN indicate the claim number for a SSI or Social Security beneficiary. Per the SSA: "If you are an SSI beneficiary, your claim number is your nine-digit Social Security Number (SSN) (000-00-0000) followed by two letters such as EI, DI, DS, DC.

What does an A mean on the end of Medicare number?

retired workerHere's what the letters behind the Medicare number mean: *A = retired worker. B. = wife of retired worker.

What does C1 mean 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 are the 3 types of Social Security?

Social Security Benefits: Retirement, Disability, Dependents, and Survivors (OASDI)

What does D mean on a Social Security award letter?

Aged WidowChild – Includes minor, student or disabled child. D. Aged Widow, age 60 or over.

How do you tell where you were born by your social security number?

Look at the first three digits of your SSN. These three digits are called the "Area Number" and are the only part of your SSN that can help identify your birth location.

What is SSI award letter?

What is a Social Security Benefit Verification Letter? The Benefit Verification letter, sometimes called a "budget letter," a "benefits letter," a "proof of income letter," or a "proof of award letter," serves as proof of your retirement, disability, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or Medicare benefits.

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.

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 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 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.

Will Medicare change their claim number?

Medicare will eventually be changing their claim numbers to use something other than the claimant’s Social Security number .

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 does HA code mean?

Code H. “H” indicates Medicare eligibility is due to disability. HA means you are a disabled claimant, HB means you are the wife of a disabled claimant, and HC means you are the child of a disabled claimant. If your Medicare number includes the HA code, your Social Security appears in your Medicare number. If your Medicare number includes the HB ...

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 the suffix "E" mean in a divorce?

“E” by itself 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.

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 Medicare number?

This is the number every Medicare recipient should provide in all communication with the Social Security Administration about his or her Medicare account. This is also the number medical providers will need in order to provide Medicare-covered services to a Medicare recipient.

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 the suffix "E" mean in a claim?

“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.

How many digits are in Medicare?

Whether the nine digits of your Medicare number match your Social Security Number or another person’s Social Security Number depends on the nature of your eligibility for Medicare. The nature of your eligibility for Medicare is also reflected in the letter code immediately following the numerical portion of your Medicare number.

What is the suffix for a third husband?

Numerical suffixes in the “B” category continue all the way to 9 (with B9 being the Medicare number suffix for a third husband). If your suffix code is anything in the “B” category, your spouse’s or ex-spouse’s Social Security Number, and not your own, will constitute the first nine numbers of 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 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 Medicare show when you change your name?

My name changed — Your Medicare card shows the name you have on file with Social Security. Get details from Social Security if you legally changed your name.

What is the number to call for medicare?

If someone calls and asks for your information, for money, or threatens to cancel your health benefits, hang up and call us 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) . TTY: 1-877-486-2048.

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.

Do you have to carry a Medicare card?

If you have a Medicare drug plan or supplemental coverage, carry that plan card with you too.

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