The New Medicare Card Is Coming

The 2018 Medicare & You Handbook has announced that new Medicare cards are on their way.

For a long time, an individual’s social security number has been on display, and many Medicare consumers found this to be troublesome. Carrying it with you in public is a threat to your personal identity, and when you use it often, the chances of identity theft become more of a concern.

Between April 2018 and April 2019, new Medicare cards will be mailed to each person enrolled in Medicare. These cards have removed the SSN and have replaced it with a unique Medicare Number that looks like so:

More information will be available when the new Medicare card is mailed.

A few tips to pass along to your clients:

• Make sure the mailing address on file is correct. If it isn’t, you can go online to ssa.gov/myaccount or you can call 1-800-772-1213.
• Be aware of potential scammers. The new card will be sent automatically, so anyone who calls or emails for personal information is not a reliable source.
• Have patience. The mailing period is a full year long. Your neighbor or friend might receive theirs before you do, but that’s no cause for concern.

New to the industry? Start here: Medicare Basics for New Senior Market Insurance Agents