“Removing Social Security numbers from Medicare cards is one
of the many ways CMS is committed to putting patients first and improving the
consumer healthcare experience,” said Regional Administrator Ray Hurd. “This
change not only protects Medicare patients from fraud, but also safeguards
taxpayer dollars by making it harder for criminals to use Social Security
numbers to falsely bill Medicare for care services and benefits that were never
performed.”
Work on this important initiative was made possible by the
enactment of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA).
CMS began mailing the new Medicare cards to people who
currently have Medicare benefits in New York this week. Additionally, people
who are new to Medicare in New York started to receive their new Medicare cards
in April along with others across the country when the mailing first began. As
soon as people receive their new Medicare card, they should safely and securely
destroy their old Medicare card and keep their new Medicare number
confidential. Our current mailing strategy allows us to complete the mailings
of new cards to all people with Medicare, both new and current enrollees, over
the next year.
The new Medicare card will not change any of the program
benefits and services that eligible people enrolled in Medicare receive. People
with Medicare and their caregivers can visit medicare.gov/newcard to find out
when new Medicare cards will be mailed to their area. They can also sign up for
email notifications about the new card mailing and check the status in their
state. Healthcare providers, suppliers and people with Medicare
will be able to use secure look up tools that allow quick access to the new
Medicare numbers when needed. There will also be a 21-month transition period
for healthcare providers and suppliers to use either the former Social
Security-based Medicare number or the new Medicare number to ensure a seamless
transition.
As the new Medicare cards are being mailed, people with
Medicare should look out for scams and follow these tips:
• Medicare
will never contact you for your Medicare number or other personal information
so you can obtain your new Medicare card.
• Don’t pay
for your new Medicare card. It’s free. If anyone calls or approaches you and
says you need to pay for it, that’s a scam.
• Guard your
card. When you get your new card, safeguard it like you would health insurance
or credit cards.
• Only give
your new Medicare Number to doctors, pharmacists, other health care providers,
your insurers, or people you trust to work with Medicare on your behalf.
