Toni:
I have been receiving mail and phone calls about a new Medicare card that is being issued for those on Medicare.
I’m getting a little concerned because neither my wife or I have received the new card. My wife went to her cardiologist and there was a sign saying when a new Medicare card arrives to bring it to them.
We have received what our new Social Security checks will be with the 2018 Medicare Part B premiums but have not received any information as to when the new card is coming by Social Security or Medicare.
What should we do if we don’t receive our new Medicare card?
Thank You. Sam from Corsicana, TX
Sam:
Great question…Together, let’s discuss when and how the new Medicare card is arriving to the 55 plus million who are already enrolled in the Medicare system and the 10,000 Baby Boomers every day, who are eligible for Medicare.
The new Medicare card will start arriving state by state via geographic area beginning April 2018 and will take a complete year to mail new Medicare cards nationwide finalizing by end of April 2019. After December 31, 2019, those enrolled in Medicare must use the new Medicare card.
To view the nationwide new Medicare card mailing waves, please visit the attached link to view when your state will begin receiving the new Medicare card https://www.cms.gov/medicare/new-medicare-card/nmc-mailing-strategy.pdf
Sam, Texas will not begin receiving new Medicare cards until June 2018 and your wife’s cardiologist office is looking out for its client by informing them to bring the new card to them when you receive it.
The new Medicare card will help to protect Americans from identity fraud by removing the Social Security number and replacing it with 11 characters either upper case letter from A- Z (except for S, L, O, I, B, and Z — for ease of reading) and numbers 0-9. An example of the new Medicare card for John L. Smith is attached to this article.
Below is how Medicare is helping America to get ready for the big change:
- Be sure your mailing address is up to date by contact Social Security at ssa.gov/myaccount or 1-800-772-1213 TTY users can call 1-800-25-0778.
- Medicare wants everyone to know that mailing a new card to all on or enrolling in Medicare will take time. Don’t be alarmed if your new Medicare card comes at a different time than your friend’s or neighbor’s card.
- Medicare wants all to be aware of anyone who contacts you about your new Medicare card. Medicare or Social Security will never ask you to give them your personal or private information to get your new Medicare number or card.
Sam, I was concerned when you wrote that you had been receiving calls and marketing information regarding your new Medicare card. The Toni Says Medicare team is informing those who call the office to never give your information to anyone who calls because identity fraud is growing throughout America. It is reported that millions of retirement dollars are stolen from those on Medicare because of fraud. Remember…protect your new Medicare card as you do your Social Security number.
The new Medicare number will be unique to only you and will only be used for your Medicare coverage!
Toni King the author of Medicare Survival Guide® Advanced is offering a free Confused about Medicare workshop DVD with each bundle package at www.tonisays.com. Have any Medicare questions, please feel free to reach out to Toni at 832-519-8664 or email info@tonisays.com.
