Betty’s Best Tips: New Medicare Cards coming in the mail

Oct. 12--Note: This is one of my Betty's Best Tips, or columns on popular subjects.

Earlier this summer, I wrote a column reminding those who are on Medicare that you will be getting new Medicare cards mailed at an undisclosed time. For us in Ohio, that was going to be sometime after June.

The federal government is re-issuing the new Medicare cards, which will no longer have the person's Social Security number on it, but a new Medicare ID. But the government, in an effort to protect from potential Identity Theft, is only speaking in generalities about when the cards are coming in different states.

Ohioans' new Medicare cards will be coming in the mail starting the week of Oct. 15, and may take a month, according to Chris Reeg, director of the Ohio Department of Insurance's Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIP), the program which helps Ohioans with education and selection of yearly Medicare Advantage insurance plans and Part D prescription plans.

The Medicare Advantage and Part D open enrollment period begins Oct. 15 and lasts through Dec. 7, so there is a lot of marketing materials that senior citizens are getting in the mail these days, said Reeg.

Ohio is in the last wave of states to receive Medicare cards and officials were told recently that will be starting this week, "smack dab" in the middle of Open Enrollment, she said.

"We know you're getting a lot of mail, but do look for a mailing from Social Security" so the new cards don't get accidentally thrown out, Reeg said.

Newly eligible Medicare recipients began receiving the new cards as of April. But for the rest of the country, it's on a rollout basis. It's also important to know, officials said, that your neighbor may get a new card before you, so don't be worried.

A spokeswoman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said she could not get into specifics, beyond saying "new Medicare cards for Ohioans are coming soon." She also recommended Medicare beneficiaries sign up at medicare.gov/newcard to get emails that tell them when their cards are being mailed to their area.

The card will come in a white envelope from the "Department of Health and Human Services" and the back will say "Official information from Medicare."

Here's some more information from a column I wrote earlier when the cards were being announced:

Medicare recipients: If you haven't yet heard, new Medicare cards are being issued to everyone.

But the government is keeping the actual timeline for when cards will be issued in different states quiet in an attempt to thwart potential fraudsters.

That makes sense.

After all, the main reason the cards are being replaced is because current Medicare numbers are people's Social Security numbers. The new cards bear a randomly generated Medicare ID number instead.

Social Security numbers are vital personal information that should be closely guarded to avoid identity theft. Yet, many people carry around their Medicare card in their wallets because they think they need it to prove their insurance coverage if they have to go to the emergency room.

You don't need to carry the Medicare card on a regular basis; emergency rooms cannot refuse treatment if you don't have identification or insurance and you can coordinate to have a family member get the number after you've been treated.

If you need it for a doctor's appointment, consider pulling it out of your safe place at home and taking it just that day. While we're at it, this is also a reminder that no one should be carrying their Social Security card in their wallet. Keep that in a safe place at home.

Newly eligible Medicare recipients began receiving the new cards as of April. But for the rest of the country, it's on a rollout basis.

In May, the general mailings began in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Current states getting cards are Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

The best information I could get for Ohio from a spokeswoman was that it will be sometime after June, but the process could take several months to a year.

So if you have a friend or relative in another state, you can't gauge when you are getting your new card by when they get theirs. Also, I was told that once a state starts getting cards, not everyone gets them at the same time, so your neighbor might get a new card sooner than you.

In the meantime, keep using your current Medicare card until your new one arrives.

The best way to get a heads-up when the new cards are coming to Ohio or your state is by going to www.medicare.gov/NewCard and register your email address to get a notification on the status of mailings in your state. If you aren't comfortable on the computer, ask a relative or trusted friend to sign up for an update for you. For instance, I signed up for updates for my parents, who live in another state.

According to Medicare, once card mailings begin in your state, it'll take about a month to finish.

You can also log in to your www.MyMedicare.gov account to see if your new card has mailed. If you don't have an account, you can sign up for free.

Here are some other tips:

·Individuals with questions can go to www.Medicare.gov or call 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227) for help or additional information.

·Medicare will mail the new card at no cost to the verified beneficiary's address on file with the Social Security Administration (SSA). Please ensure your address of record with SSA is correct and current. To update an official mailing address, visit www.ssa.gov/myaccount or call 800-772-1213.

·There is no charge for your new card.

·The card won't change your coverage or benefits.

?Once you receive your new card, shred your old card and don't just throw it away. Your new card is ready to use and you don't have to do anything to update your ID number. You should still keep your new card safe.

·Medicare will NEVER contact you uninvited for your Medicare number or other personal information.

·Don't share your Medicare number or other personal information with anyone who contacts you by phone, email, or by approaching you in person, unless you've given them permission in advance.

·Only give personal information like your Medicare number to doctors, insurers acting on your behalf, or trusted people in the community who work with Medicare like your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).

·If you receive any calls or suspicious solicitations asking for your Medicare number or other personal information, hang up and call your local Senior Medicare Patrol or 1-800-MEDICARE.

·Learn more about how you can fight scam artists who commit Medicare fraud at www.medicare.gov/fraud.

Beacon Journal consumer columnist and medical reporter Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJand see all her stories at www.ohio.com/betty

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