What does the letter suffix on my Medicare card mean?
Clients often ask us about the meaning of the letter suffix on their Medicare card. Your Medicare number (also called Medicare Claim Number) is usually your Social Security number followed by a code.
What do the letters in Medicare claim numbers mean?
The letter A, B, C, or D following the numerical part of your Medicare number does not refer in any way to Medicare Part A, B, C, or D. Following are descriptions of what the primary letter codes in all Medicare Claim Numbers indicate. “A” at the end of your Medicare number indicates you are a retired wage earner and primary claimant.
What does “a” at the end of my 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.
What is the letter coding on a Medicare card?
Your Medicare card is a valuable resource, and for the most part it is straightforward and easy to understand. 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.
What does the letter at the end of my 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 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.
Does your Medicare number have letters?
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.
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 is the new Medicare number format?
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.
What does letter B after Social Security number mean?
Aged wife, age 62 or overB. Aged wife, age 62 or over. B1. Aged husband, age 62 or over.
How many letters and numbers are in a Medicare number?
How many characters will the MBI have? The MBI has 11 characters, like the Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN), which can have up to 11. Will the MBI's characters have any meaning? Each MBI is randomly generated.
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.
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 does a T in Medicare claim mean?
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 disease, or have eligibility due to Medicare Qualified Government Employment (MQGE), or the spouse of a MQGE.
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 does C1 mean on Medicare?
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.
Does Medicare Part C appear on your card?
If you have enrolled in Medicare Part C ( Medicare Advantage) or Part D ( prescription drug coverage ), this information will not appear anywhere on your Medicare card, but on a separate membership card that you receive after enrollment.
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 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.
Things to note
The Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI), often known as your Medicare number, comprises eleven random letters and digits. The red, white, and blue Medicare card reflects this.
Where can I find my Medicare number?
The red, white, and blue Medicare card has your Medicare number on it.
When will my Medicare card arrive?
If you are enrolled in Medicare automatically, you will get your card three months before your 65th
What is the purpose of my Medicare number and card?
Bring your Medicare card with you to any doctor’s appointment or hospital visit with any healthcare
What should I do if my Medicare card is lost?
If you misplace your Medicare card, you can request a replacement. You can request a replacement card in many ways.
