Apr 25, 2018 - Medicare is Issuing New Cards in April Without SSNs
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced they will begin issuing new red, white and blue Medicare cards that no longer show Social Security Numbers (SSNs). Beginning this month, April 2018, and concluding by April 2019, CMS will mail new identification cards to Medicare’s 55 million beneficiaries in an effort to protect privacy and prevent fraud.
This move comes out of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 which required CMS to replace the SSN previously displayed with a unique identifier (combination of letters and numbers) under a new name — Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI).
Here are some things to know about the new cards:
- The first wave of mailings will include Mid-Atlantic states (i.e. Delaware, Maryland) and Western states (i.e. California, Oregon), plus Pacific territories like Guam. Here is a full mailing timeline for the roll out of new Medicare cards.
- When you receive your new card, it is wise to inform your health care providers of the new information to avoid any confusion down the line. Old cards will be valid for at least a year once the new ones are received.
- The new cards will be mailed to the address CMS has on file. If you need to make an address change, you can go to www.ssa.gov/myaccount or call 1-800-772-1213.
Also, be on alert for malicious attempts to take advantage of this new system. Here is some information to keep in mind if at all approached by someone looking to gather information from you regarding this new card roll out:
- This new Medicare card is FREE.
- Medicare does not make uninvited calls to beneficiaries.
- This new card will in no way impact your Medicare benefits
Sax Wealth Advisors will be sure to keep you posted on updates to the new card system as they emerge. If there are any questions about the new card change or how best to protect your personal information in the interim, please contact a SWA advisor at (973) 859-2199.