NEW MEDICARE IDS ON THE WAY!

By The GWAAR Legal Services Team

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it will start mailing the new Medicare cards with the new Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) in April 2018. The cards will be mailed out in phases by geographic region. Wisconsin Medicare beneficiaries can expect to receive their new cards after June 2018.

The new Medicare cards are still red, white, and blue, but they no longer have your Social Security number, gender, signature, or other personal information that could compromise your identity. Each person who is enrolled in Medicare will receive a new card with his or her new MBI. The MBIs are 11 characters long, and they are randomly assigned so that there is no connection to your other personal data.

Here is the mailing schedule:

• Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia: April-June 2018
• Alaska, American Samoa, California, Guam, Hawaii, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon: April-June 2018
• Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin: After June 2018
• Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont: After June 2018
• Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina: After June 2018
• Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming: After June 2018
• Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Virgin Islands: After June 2018

Before the mailing begins, you should make sure Medicare has your correct address. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will be preparing and mailing the cards. If you need to update your address, you can contact SSA at ssa.gov/myaccount or by calling 1-800- 772-1213.

Make sure to check your mailbox regularly until your new card arrives. At the latest, you will receive your new card by December 2019. You should continue to use the Medicare card you have now until you receive your new one in the mail. Once your new card arrives, you should destroy your old Medicare card and start using your new card right away. Remember: you should only give your new MBI to doctors, pharmacists, other health care providers, your insurance company, or people you trust to work with Medicare on your behalf.

CMS will not call or email you about your new card – you will only receive information by postal mail. Beware of anyone who contacts you about your new Medicare card. Scammers have already tried to trick beneficiaries into providing personal information or paying money for their new cards. Your new card is free. If anyone calls or emails you about your new or old Medicare number, hang up or delete the message.

Copyright GWAAR, 2018