En español | From April 2018 to January 2019, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services sent every Medicare beneficiary a new card designed to better protect against identity theft.Where the previous cards showed your Social Security number, the new cards utilize a unique, randomly assigned combination of numbers and letters called a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI).
When will the new Medicare cards be sent out?
May 29, 2019 · A decision earlier this year by Medicare to stop using its beneficiaries' Social Security numbers as account numbers has not gone unnoticed by scammers. In April, Medicare began sending its members new cards with unique eleven-digit account numbers, ending the previous reliance on SSA numbers. The transition to new cards and numbers is ongoing and is …
Is Medicare calling people about new cards?
May 17, 2018 · Did you know that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is sending new cards with new Medicare numbers to everyone with Medicare? Instead of your Social Security Number (SSN), your new Medicare card will include a new number unique to you. This will help to protect you against identity theft and protect Medicare from fraud.
Are new Medicare cards being mailed out?
New Medicare Cards Are Coming Soon The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is in the process of issuing new Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBI) and Medicare cards to help protect the identities of Medicare beneficiaries. Here is a summary of the changes and information on what people with Medicare can expect. Why?
Is Medicare issuing new cards with chips?
Dec 01, 2021 · New Medicare cards Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBIs) The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 required us to remove Social Security Numbers (SSNs) from all Medicare cards. You MUST submit claims using MBIs (with a few exceptions), no matter what date you performed the service. Page Last Modified: ...
Why are we getting new Medicare cards?
Are we supposed to get new Medicare cards 2021?
Is Medicare making calls about new cards?
Is Medicare sending out new black and white Medicare cards?
Is Medicare changing their cards for 2022?
Do you get new Medicare cards every year?
Why do I keep getting Medicare calls?
Sometimes, they're selling phony products such as supplemental or prescription drug Medicare plans. The whole purpose of all of these calls is to obtain your personal information, whether that is your Medicare card number, your Social Security number, or banking information.
Why does Medicare assist keep calling me?
Does Medicare ever call you on the phone?
How to protect your SSN when you get a new Medicare card?
When you’ve received your new Medicare card, take these steps to protect your information and identity: Destroy your old Medicare card right away. Make sure you destroy your old card to help protect your SSN and other personal information. Start using your new Medicare card.
Can Medicare contact you uninvited?
Medicare will never contact you uninvited to ask for your personal information. For more information about your new Medicare card, visit Medicare.gov/NewCard. You can also visit Medicare.gov for tips to prevent Medicare fraud. Tags: Medicare, my Social Security account, Social Security benefits, SSN. See Comments.
Can you give your Medicare number to a doctor?
Protect your Medicare Number like you would your credit cards. Only give your new Medicare Number to doctors, pharmacists, other health care providers, your insurer, or people you trust to work with Medicare on your behalf. Beware of people contacting you about your new Medicare card and asking you for your Medicare number, personal information, or to pay a fee for your new card. Medicare will never contact you uninvited to ask for your personal information.
Does Medicare send new cards?
Did you know that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is sending new cards with new Medicare numbers to everyone with Medicare? Instead of your Social Security Number (SSN), your new Medicare card will include a new number unique to you. This will help to protect you against identity theft and protect Medicare from fraud. Medicare will automatically mail your new card to the address you have on file with Social Security. As long as your address is up to date, there’s nothing you need to do! If you need to update your address, use your personal my Social Security account.
Does Medicare automatically mail a new card?
This will help to protect you against identity theft and protect Medicare from fraud. Medicare will automatically mail your new card to the address you have on file with Social Security. As long as your address is up to date, there’s nothing you need to do!
How do scammers get information?
One of the ways scammers get this information is to pose as Medicare and call people to tell them they’re getting a new Medicare card. The scammers will then ask the victim to ‘verify’ their Medicare number and other information so they can issue a new card. A woman in Tennessee was approached by scammers over the phone and was told she was getting a new Medicare card that had a chip in it like a debit or credit card. The woman even asked if the caller was from Medicare or a third party, and the scammer claimed to be from Medicare. The woman knew this was a scam and gave the caller some phony information before hanging up on them.
Can Medicare call you?
The main thing to keep in mind with Medicare scams is that unless you have an ongoing issue with your Medicare coverage and have spoken to an actual Medicare rep, Medicare will never call you. Any major communications that Medicare has with its recipients is done through the postal mail, that includes when new cards are to be issued. If someone calls you claiming to be from Medicare, hang up, even if the caller ID says they’re calling from Medicare. As we’ve known for some time, any phone number can be spoofed.
Why did Medicare give out new cards?
En español | From April 2018 to January 2019, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services sent every Medicare beneficiary a new card designed to better protect against identity theft. Where the previous cards showed your Social Security number, the new cards utilize a unique, randomly assigned combination of numbers and letters called a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI). But the new approach hasn’t stopped criminals from targeting older Americans.
How to destroy old Medicare card?
Do destroy your old Medicare card, if you haven’t already. Run it through a shredder, or cut it up with scissors (making sure to mutilate the part with your Social Security number).
What did the scammers do during the Medicare rollout?
During the rollout, scammers impersonating Medicare employees called many beneficiaries, telling them they needed to verify personal information or pay a processing fee to get their new card. Once the rollout was complete, the fraudsters switched gears, adopting variations on the con that claim you need to replace or upgrade your Medicare card.
Why don't you believe a Medicare caller is a Medicare employee?
Don’t believe a caller is a Medicare employee simply because he or she knows some information about you. Scammers will have done their homework.
Can someone threaten to cancel Medicare?
Someone threatens to cancel your Medicare coverage unless you provide personal information over the phone.
Can you share your Social Security number?
Don’t share your Medicare or Social Security number (or other personal information) with anyone who contacts you out of the blue by phone, text or email or shows up unannounced at your door.
How long is the Medicare card identifier?
The Medicare Beneficiary Identifier is 11 characters long and can include both numbers and capital letters. The identifiers will be randomly chosen and therefore be clearly different from Social Security numbers, so you shouldn't expect to see all or part of your Social Security number appear in the identifier on your new Medicare card.
Why is Medicare important?
Medicare provides essential support for millions of older Americans in protecting their health. Those who choose to join Medicare receive a card that identifies them as Medicare participants, and for decades, the design of the Medicare card stayed the same. Recently, concerns about the potential for fraud and identity theft led ...
When will Medicare transition to Social Security?
CMS has established a 21-month transition period during which time participants can use either their new Medicare Beneficiary Identifier or their old Social Security-based Health Insurance Claim Number. The period is expected to run through the end of 2019.
What happens if someone loses their Medicare card?
Therefore, when someone's card is lost or stolen, it not only threatens to create problems with Medicare-related fraud, but also risks broader financial identity theft.
When will Medicare remove Social Security numbers?
Congressional legislation passed in 2015 required CMS to remove Social Security numbers from Medicare cards by April 2019. Instead, the current Health Insurance Claim Number -- which is identical to one's Social Security number -- will get replaced by the new Medicare Beneficiary Identifier.
When will Medicare cards be sent out?
CMS will start sending new Medicare cards to participants in April. The agency will send out the new cards in seven waves based on where you live. The cards for the first two groups of states are set to be mailed between April and June. The first group includes the mid-Atlantic areas closest to Washington, D.C., including Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The second wave covers U.S. territories in the Pacific, as well as Alaska, California, Hawaii, and Oregon. The five other groups will be sent after June, with specific dates not yet determined. You can get the specific groups from this document on the CMS website (opens PDF).
What to do once you get your new card?
Moreover, once you get your new card, protect it in the same way that you would a Social Security card, driver's license, passport, or other primary identification documents. That's a critical step to avoid fraud going forward.
When did Medicare start?
Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people 65 and older and people with disabilities, has been a target of criminals since it started in July 1965 . With more than 62 million current Medicare recipients, it's a target-rich environment for liars, cheats and thieves.
Why do people use chip cards?
A chip card, the size of a debit or credit card, contains a microchip to encrypt transactions for greater data security. But protecting your data is the last thing bad actors want. Often they aim to defraud the taxpayer-financed Medicare program — or to steal your identity and rip you off.
How old was the widow when she got a plastic chip card?
A 73-year-old widow in a small town in North Dakota learned about it the hard way. Early in September, a man called unexpectedly and offered her a plastic chip card to replace her paper Medicare ID.
Why did Wolff know the caller was a scammer?
Wolff knew the caller was a scammer from the get-go. She works with a local hospital and community health center, visiting older folks in their homes to ensure they have the services and equipment they need. Her work led her to suspect that the caller asked about her sister's physical attributes, such as her height, weight and pants size, because he wanted to cheat the government by billing for unneeded durable medical equipment (DME).
Is Medicare a scam?
If somebody tells you that, they're lying. It's the latest Medicare scam. A 73-year-old widow in a small town in North Dakota learned about it the hard way. Early in September, a man called unexpectedly and offered her a plastic chip card to replace her paper Medicare ID.
Is Medicare a scam in North Dakota?
North Dakota Attorney General's Office. North Dakota Assistant Attorney General Parrell Grossman calls the emerging Medicare scam 'dangerous'. A consumer alert to North Dakotans is going out soon, said Grossman, who called the scam “particularly dangerous” since some consumers gave up what he called “unique” and “important” identifiers.
Can Medicare ask for my personal information?
Medicare will never ask for your personal information or Medicare number unless you contact Medicare yourself. Scammers falsely allege Medicare is replacing the Medicare card due to suspicious activity, or promise the new Medicare card will give them new and enhanced Medicare benefits not available with their current card.
Is Medicare a scam?
They say Medicare will rarely contact you by phone, and if so, you can also hang up and call Medicare back to confirm that the call is legitimate and not a scam. According to state officials, Medicare scams include the following: Scammers falsely tell Medicare beneficiaries that Medicare is issuing new Medicare cards.
