What to do if you haven’t received your new Medicare card; Covering; The Bases

I am 67 years old and I never received my new Medicare card. My sister, who is 71, says she received her card months ago. I am very concerned. My old Medicare card has my Social Security number. Medicare redesigned the cards to have random letters/numbers to protect seniors from identity theft. What do I need to do to get my new Medicare card?

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid has announced that the mailing of the new Medicare cards has been completed. People who have not received their new cards are asked to do the following:

Look around your home for any old or unopened mail. The new Medicare cards were sent in a plain white envelope from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Sign into www.mymedicare.gov to get your new number or print an official card. You will need to create an account if you do not already have one.

If you do not use a computer, you should call 1-800-MEDICARE to request a new card.

Until you locate, or receive, a new Medicare card, you can continue to use your old Medicare card. The old Medicare cards are valid until Jan. 1, 2020. Once you locate or receive your new Medicare card, you should destroy your old card.

I received a call from "Medicare" stating I am required to "activate" my new Medicare card. I knew this was incorrect since my new Medicare card has been working just fine. The caller was relentless, saying I would have a lapse in benefits if I did not verify my Social Security number and bank account information. I am writing to warn people of this scam.

Ironically, the scam you describe is taking advantage of the initiative to protect your personal information.

New Medicare cards no longer use Social Security numbers. Medicare does call you to verify or update any information to "activate" your new card. You were wise to protect your personal information and not disclose your Social Security number or financial information.

You may call your local Department of Aging and Disabilities' Senior Medicare Patrol at 410-222-4257 if you have further questions about scams targeting your Medicare. Thank you for sharing your experience with our readers.

Amy Rubino is the director of the Senior Health Insurance Assistance Program and the Senior Medicare Patrol for the Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities. You may contact either program at 410-222-4257 or [email protected].

Credit: Amy Rubino - Amy Rubino is the director of the Senior Health Insurance Assistance Program and the Senior Medicare Patrol for the Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities. You may contact either program at 410-222-4257 or [email protected].