The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that starting in April 2018, they will be removing your Social Security Number from Medicare cards to prevent fraud, fight identify theft, and keep taxpayer dollars safe.
What does this mean to me?
You’ll get a new card in the mail with a new Medicare Number that’s unique to you. For those who live in Pennsylvania, Delaware, DC, Maryland and Virginia your new cards will be mailed between April and June 2018. For those in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont your cards will mailed after June 2018. Mailing everyone a new card will take some time, so your card might arrive at a different
time than your friends or neighbors. Once you get your new card, destroy your old card and start using your new card right away.
Changing your payment information …
Once you get your new Medicare card, use your new Medicare Number when paying your Medicare premiums, instead of your old number.
If you pay your Medicare premiums using your bank’s Online Bill Pay service, you’ll need to update your account to use your new Medicare Number. Don’t include the dashes when entering your Medicare Number and make sure the Biller Name says: CMS Medicare Insurance. If you pay your Medicare premiums by check or money order, write your new Medicare Number on your check or money order. If your Medicare Premiums are deducted directly from your Social Security Check then you do not need to do anything.
To make sure the Social Security has your correct address to send you the new card you can contact Social Security at ssa.gov/myaccount or 1-800-772-1213. TTY users can call
1-800-325-0778.