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 does W mean on a Medicare letter code?
“W” by itself indicates you are the disabled widow of a primary claimant. Other Medicare suffixes in the “W” category include: 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).
What is my Medicare number?
Your Medicare number (also called Medicare Claim Number) is usually your Social Security number followed by a code. 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.
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 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.
Do the new Medicare numbers mean anything?
Will the MBI's characters have any meaning? Each MBI is randomly generated. This makes MBIs different than HICNs, which are based on the Social Security Numbers (SSNs) of people with Medicare. The MBI's characters are “non-intelligent” so they don't have any hidden or special meaning.
Will my Medicare card number ever include the letter O?
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 do Medicare numbers start with?
On a Medicare card, an MBI will appear similar to this: 1EG4-TE5-MK73. The second, fifth, eighth, and ninth characters are always letters while the first, fourth, seventh, tenth, and eleventh characters are always numbers. You can visit cms.gov for more information on the format of an MBI.
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.
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.
Why do I have 2 different Medicare numbers?
As a Medicare recipient, you have your own unique Medicare identification number, which is no longer your Social Security number, as it was in the past. This is the number you will use for all Medicare transactions such as checking eligibility and claim status, billing and submitting claims.
What does a Medicare claim number look like?
You can find your Medicare claim number on your red, white and blue Medicare card. Your Medicare claim number is the same as your Medicare card number. That means your Medicare claim number is the same as the 11-character series of numbers and letters on the front of your red, white and blue Medicare card.
Why do I have two different Medicare numbers?
The front of your Medicare card indicates whether you are enrolled in Part A and/or Part B under the heading “IS ENTITLED TO.” If you are enrolled in the Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage) plan or Medicare Part D (prescription drug) plan, that information appears on a separate card and not on your Medicare card.
What is the format for Medicaid ID?
Recipients added to the file as of July 1, 1999 and after have been assigned a new, permanent 13-digit number. These newly assigned 13-digit numbers may look somewhat unusual to you (i.e., 0000000000001, 8888888888888, 0000000000025, 0000000486100, 0000761147692).
What is the Medicare number most often called?
The Medicare number, called the Medicare health insurance claim number (HICN), is assigned by CMS and usually consists of the Social Security number followed by a numeric or alphanumeric ending.
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 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.
What is the Medicare code A?
The answer lies in that simple code at the end of your Medicare number. Most Medicare recipients have code A in their Medicare number. That confirms that the person is eligible for Medicare based on his or her own work history.
What is the C category in Medicare?
The C category applies to child Medicare beneficiaries. The youngest child gets code C1, the next youngest gets C2, and so on through C9 and then from CA to CZ. The D category indicates those claiming Medicare based on a deceased spouse solely due to age.
Is Medicare the same as Social Security?
The vast majority of people have a Medicare number that's almost identical to their Social Security number. Because the Social Security Administration already tracks wage information for its own eligibility purposes, it's natural for Medicare to use the same number for Medicare eligibility tracking. However, in some cases, your Medicare number ...
