Home » New Medicare Cards
Tag:

New Medicare Cards

Scammers stealing Social Security numbers from Medicare recipients
Fraud & Security

Scammers stealing Social Security numbers from Medicare recipients

by Rod Spurgeon
written by Rod Spurgeon

 
Medicare will soon roll out new Medicare Health Insurance cards to all seniors. The new cards are designed to help prevent identity theft by removing one specific piece of information – Social Security numbers. Identity thieves are aware of this change and are currently scrambling to obtain as many Social Security numbers and other personal information from seniors as possible before the release date. Scammers stealing Social Security numbers from Medicare recipients
Instead of Social Security numbers, the new cards will use unique Medicare numbers to identify cardholders. The new Medicare number is only useful for Medicare purposes and is useless to criminals looking to steal someone’s identity. Criminals are scrambling to call as many seniors as possible before the new cards are issued, and you may soon find one of these scammers on the phone with you.
Some scammers begin the call with a pleasant or neutral tone. They will say they’re from Medicare or an organization related to Medicare and may inform callers about the upcoming changes to Medicare cards. Callers will then ask seniors for personal information, including Social Security numbers, to receive new cards. The caller may also ask seniors to pay a fee related to the new Medicare cards. If the Medicare recipient refuses to provide personal information or pay the fee over the phone, the caller’s tone will take a dramatic turn for the worse.
When a Medicare recipient doesn’t provide the information or fee requested by the scammer, the scammer may become aggressive, rude, or even hostile. The caller may bully, intimidate and even threaten to terminate the Medicare recipient’s benefits unless the senior gives the caller exactly what he or she wants. Don’t fall for it.
Nobody is going to call you from Medicare to ask for any personal information related to your new card. Anybody who calls you asking for personal information to receive your new card is a scammer. When Medicare rolls out the new cards, you do notneed to do anything to receive it. Medicare will automatically send you a new card in the mail. Until then, stay alert for telephone calls from people masquerading as officials from Medicare, and hang up on anyone asking for your personal information or to pay a fee for your new card.
Keep this in mind – you are not obligated to endure unwelcome treatment or talk to anyone over the phone unless you want to. If someone is rude, hostile, or otherwise unpleasant toyou over the phone, hang up. If someone is pushing you into giving up your personal information over the phone, hang up. Your phone belongs to you, not the caller. If you’re ever uncomfortable with speaking to the caller, hang up the phone. Hanging up your phone is your best line of defense against an unwelcome caller.
For more information on the new Medicare Health Insurance card, go to:https://www.medicare.gov/newcard/

Scammers stealing Social Security numbers from Medicare recipients

Scammers stealing Social Security numbers from Medicare recipients Scammers stealing Social Security numbers from Medicare recipients Scammers stealing Social Security numbers from Medicare recipients Scammers stealing Social Security numbers from Medicare recipients Scammers stealing Social Security numbers from Medicare recipients Scammers stealing Social Security numbers from Medicare recipients Scammers stealing Social Security numbers from Medicare recipients Scammers stealing Social Security numbers from Medicare recipients
 
 

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Important Information About Your New Medicare Card
Medicare Plans

Important Information About Your New Medicare Card

by Garrett Ball
written by Garrett Ball

As part of a plan to reduce the likelihood of identity theft, CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) is mailing new Medicare cards to all 58 million Medicare beneficiaries. The mail-out will begin in April of 2018 and last for approximately a year, with the cards going out in waves based on your state of residence. Important Information About Your New Medicare Card

Why is Medicare Mailing Out New Medicare Cards?

Medicare cards have traditionally contained a beneficiaries Social Security number featured prominently on the card. With the increasing prevalence of identity theft, particularly among seniors, legislation passed in 2014 set a plan in place to replace all existing Medicare cards with a new card that does not contain your Social Security number.
In place of the Social Security number, the new cards will have an 11-digit unique, alpha-numeric identifier. This number, called the MBI (Medicare Beneficiary Identifier), is unique to you and tied to your Medicare account.

What Do You Need to Do to Get Your New Medicare Card?

Nothing. The Medicare cards are going out automatically starting in April. The first wave of cards will go out between April 2018 and June 2018 and will be sent to residents of the following states: Alaska, American Samoa, California, District of Columbia, Guam, Hawaii, Maryland, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Other states will follow in subsequent months. By April 2019, all of the new Medicare cards should be in the hands of Medicare beneficiaries across the country.
You should always make sure that Medicare and Social Security have your current, most accurate address. You can correct any inaccuracy in your address by contacting Social Security at 800-772-1213 or online at http://ssa.gov/myaccount.

What Changes As a Result of the New Medicare Card?

The new Medicare card does not affect anything about your Medicare benefits or how you receive them. When you receive your new Medicare card, you should immediately destroy your old card and begin using your new Medicare card.
Remember, your old Medicare card contains your Social Security number, so you should take care to destroy it properly instead of just discarding it in the regular household trash.
The new Medicare card does not change anything about your Medigap or Medicare Advantage cards or coverage. And, the identification numbers on those cards are not changing as a result of the new Medicare cards.

A Word of Caution Regarding the New Medicare Cards

Medicare has cautioned seniors against related scams in which scammers may attempt to contact you directly about the new cards.
It is important to note that Medicare will not call you regarding your new Medicare card or require you to pay for your new card or provide personal information in order to receive it.
All you have to do is wait for your new card to arrive by mail, immediately destroy the old card and begin using the new card.

Important Information About Your New Medicare Card

Important Information About Your New Medicare Card Important Information About Your New Medicare Card Important Information About Your New Medicare Card Important Information About Your New Medicare Card Important Information About Your New Medicare Card Important Information About Your New Medicare Card Important Information About Your New Medicare Card Important Information About Your New Medicare Card

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail