New Medicare cards are being mailed to existing Medicare clients in Hawaii and the Pacific territories.
The new cards, issued by the U.S. Centers for Medicare &Medicaid Services, will no longer contain an individual’s Social Security number. Instead, the cards will feature a unique and randomly-assigned Medicare number, which aims to reduce fraud and offers better safeguards of important health and financial information, according to an announcement from CMS.
“Removing Social Security numbers from Medicare cards is one of the many ways CMS is committed to putting patients first and improving the consumer health care experience,” said Greg Dill, CMS regional administrator for Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands, in the announcement “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.”
Residents who are new to Medicare started to receive their new Medicare cards in April.
CMS said people should safely and securely destroy their old Medicare card once they receive their new card, and should keep their new Medicare number confidential.
The new Medicare card will not change any of the program benefits and services that eligible people enrolled in Medicare receive.
People with Medicare can visit medicare.gov/newcard to find out when new Medicare cards will be mailed to their area or sign up for email notifications about the new card mailing.
There will be a 21-month transition period for health care providers and suppliers to use either the former Social Security-based Medicare number or the new Medicare number.
CMS said as new cards are being mailed, those with Medicare should be mindful of scams.
Those with benefits should remember Medicare will never ask for your Medicare number or other personal information to obtain your new card. The new Medicaid card is free.
Cards should be guarded, and new Medicare numbers should only be given to doctors, pharmacists and other health care providers or people entrusted to work with Medicare on your behalf.
