New Medicare cards are on their way to retirees using the government health insurance program effective April 1 through April 1, 2019.
Munson Healthcare Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer Mark Hepler said the health care system with others around the country are working to help ensure no issues arise for patients in the transition to a more secure card.
“Munson Healthcare serves a majority of patients who use a governmental health benefit,” he said. “We want to ensure our Medicare patients are confident, comfortable, and informed about the change taking place.”
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has emphasized that new cards will be arriving starting April 1, but not everyone will receive their card at that time because of the size of the undertaking.
Important information about the new cards includes:
- Social Security numbers have been removed and replaced with unique 11-digit identifiers that contain both numbers and letters. This will help prevent identity theft.
- Card recipients should safeguard their new cards and destroy old ones as soon as the new card arrives.
- New cards will be paper and can start to be used immediately for provider visits.
- Physicians and other health care providers are aware of the new cards and payment systems have been adjusted to accommodate the transition.
- The new card does not replace Medicare Advantage Cards for those enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan. These cards will remain a person’s primary card for care.
People enrolled in Medicare should ensure their mailing addresses are up to date. If your address has changed or needs to be corrected, contact Social Security at ssa.gov/myaccount or 800-722-1213.
Those who do not receive a new card by April 2019 should call Medicare at 800-633-4227.