Medicare is mailing new cards between this April and April 2019.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) have started mailing new Medicare cards to all Medicare cardholders. Those of us who reside in Maine are scheduled to begin receiving our new cards after this June.

The cards will no longer display the individual’s social security number; instead they will have an 11-character, randomly assigned identifier. Cards will also no longer display information about the cardholder’s gender, signature or other information.

Your previous Medicare card is being replaced to help the U.S. government cut down on the amount of financial fraud that is committed using individuals’ information.

According to CMS Administrator Seema Verma, “We’re taking this step to protect our seniors from fraudulent use of Social Security numbers which can lead to identity theft and illegal use of Medicare benefits.”

There is nothing you need to do (or pay) to receive your new card. As long as Medicare has your current address, you will automatically receive your new card in the mail. Destroy your old card once you receive the new card.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services remind cardholders that Medicare will never ask you to pay for your card. If you receive a phone call or email from someone asking for your social security number, birth date, bank account or other information, hang up immediately without providing the information.

If you need to provide Medicare with a new address, you can contact the Social Security Administration – either via the internet ( http://www.socialsecurity.gov )or by phone (1-800-772-1213) to give them your correct mailing address.  

For more information about Medicare and your new card, visit go.medicare.gov/newcard

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