Medicare recipients are getting new cards to prevent identity theft and healthcare fraud.
The new cards will not have Social Security numbers on them.
Missouri will be mailing these new cards to the state’s 1.2 million Medicare recipients in mid-October.
Julie Brookhart is a Kansas City-based spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
She says the new cards do not replace cards for Medigap supplemental plans, Medicare advantage plans, or a Part D prescription drug plan.
“You need to keep all of those cards. This new original Medicare card does not replace any of those cards and you will still need those cards.”
She says recipients should automatically receive their cards at no cost. If you receive a phone call from someone claiming they can get you the cards faster, Brookhart says that’s a scam.
She says if you don’t receive your card by the middle of November, then call the Medicare helpline at 1-800-633-4227.