Maya Ellison
There is no new plastic Medicare card. In 2018, Medicare updated its cards to protect against identity theft by removing Social Security numbers and replacing them with a random combination of letters and numbers. Scammers have targeted Medicare users by claiming that the paper cards will be replaced by plastic chip cards. These calls are designed to trick people into revealing their Medicare number, which can lead to identity theft and insurance fraud. Medicare will first contact beneficiaries through the mail and will never ask for personal or private information before providing a new Medicare number and card.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Scam | Yes |
| Issuing Authority | CMS |
| Issuing Date | April 2018 |
| Purpose | To prevent identity theft and insurance fraud |
| Composition | Paper |
| Medicare Number | Randomly generated combination of numbers and letters |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic Medicare cards are a scam
In 2018, Medicare updated its cards to protect against identity theft. The previous cards contained a person's Social Security number, which was replaced with a random combination of letters and numbers. This switch took almost a year, and scammers took advantage of this opportunity to scam people into thinking that Medicare was switching from paper cards to plastic cards with chips. This is a scam designed to trick people into revealing their Medicare number, which can lead to identity theft and insurance fraud. Criminals could use the information to get drugs or file false claims for medical equipment and services.
Medicare will not replace your paper card with a plastic card or a card with a chip in it. If your Medicare ID number is compromised, CMS can issue you a new number and send a new card. They will contact you through the mail if they need to reach you. CMS staff will not call an individual unsolicited. If you receive an unexpected call about your Medicare card, it is a scam.
If you feel you have received one of these scam calls and gave out your Medicare ID number, call CMS at 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227). If you receive a call about your Medicare coverage, hang up. Do not give out any information about yourself or your Medicare ID number. If you must answer, ask them to send you material in writing.
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Medicare will contact you via mail
There have been reports of scam calls targeting people on Medicare. These calls claim that Medicare is replacing paper cards with plastic chip cards. However, this is not true. Medicare is not replacing paper cards with plastic cards or cards with chips.
If you receive an unexpected call about your Medicare card, it is a scam. Medicare will first contact you through the mail if they need to reach you. They will never ask for personal or private information before providing a new Medicare number and card. In fact, there are very limited situations in which Medicare will call someone.
If you feel you have received a scam call and gave out your Medicare ID number, call CMS at 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227). If your ID number is compromised, CMS can issue you a new number and send a new card. They will then begin billing Medicare-covered services with the new ID information.
Remember, Medicare will contact you via mail if they need to reach you. Do not give out any personal information over the phone, and be cautious of unexpected calls regarding your Medicare card.
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Never give out your Medicare number
Medicare fraud and abuse can happen anywhere and usually results in higher healthcare costs and taxes. It is therefore important to protect your Medicare card, number, and other personal information.
Your Medicare card contains a Medicare number that is unique to you. A scammer with your Medicare number can steal your identity, filing false claims or fraudulently accessing medical care under your name and accumulating charges. They can also redirect your prescriptions to their address.
Medicare will never call, email, or visit your home to ask for your Medicare number or other personal information. They will also never sell you new plans, offer discounts, tell you your coverage is expiring, or prompt you to apply for a new Medicare card. If you receive unsolicited contact from someone claiming to be from Medicare, it is likely a scam.
Medicare will first contact you through the mail if they need to reach you. You should only give your Medicare number to healthcare providers, insurance companies, health plans, or people you trust that work with Medicare. If someone calls and asks for your information, hang up and call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
There have been reports of a plastic card scam targeting people on Medicare. Scammers call and ask for personal information, claiming that they can send a new plastic Medicare card. Medicare is not replacing paper cards with plastic cards or cards with chips. This scam is designed to get your Medicare number and commit fraud.
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Social Security numbers were removed from cards in 2018
Social Security numbers were created to help administer President Roosevelt’s New Deal Social Security program, also known as the Social Security Act. The original purpose of the Act was to provide benefits to retirees, the unemployed, certain children, and the disabled. The numbers were first issued by the Social Security Administration in November 1935, with John D. Sweeney, Jr. of New Rochelle, New York, receiving the first Social Security record in the country.
Over the years, the use of Social Security numbers expanded beyond their original purpose. In 1972, the message stating that the numbers should not be used for identification purposes was removed from the cards. Today, Social Security numbers are used for all kinds of non-tax reasons, making them a target for identity theft.
In 2004, Congress passed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, which mandated that the Social Security Administration redesign the SSN card to prevent forgery. As a result, the SSA worked with the Government Printing Office to create a new card design with enhanced security features.
In 2015, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) required the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to remove Social Security numbers from all Medicare cards by April 2019. This change was made to protect seniors from fraud and identity theft, as Medicare scammers often target this demographic. The transition period for the new cards began in April 2018 and ended in December 2019, during which time both the old and new cards could be used.
It is important to note that Medicare will never ask for personal or private information over the phone. If someone receives a call requesting information about their Medicare number or other personal details, they should hang up and report the incident.
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Scammers target older Americans
Scammers are targeting older Americans with a new twist on an old scam involving Medicare cards. This time, they are offering a plastic Medicare card with a chip, which they claim will replace the paper card. This scam has been around for a while, but crooks are now using a different approach to target older Americans.
Medicare is not replacing paper cards with plastic chip cards. This scam first emerged in 2018 when Medicare sent beneficiaries new cards to protect against identity theft. Social Security numbers were replaced with a random combination of letters and numbers. Scammers took advantage of the transition period to rip people off and then moved on to a new con. They started convincing victims that Medicare was switching from paper to plastic cards with chips. They ask for personal information, such as name, address, phone number, and how the name is spelled, and then for the Medicare number, which can lead to identity theft and insurance fraud.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) warned that stolen data could be used to file fake claims, fill prescriptions, or be sold on the dark web. Scammers often aim to defraud the taxpayer-financed Medicare program or steal identities. Medicare will first contact beneficiaries through the mail if they need to reach out. They will never ask for personal or private information before providing a new Medicare number and card.
If you receive any suspicious calls claiming to be from Medicare, hang up and call the toll-free Medicare number on your card. You can also contact the Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft Hotline and visit identitytheft.gov to develop a recovery plan.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Medicare is not replacing your paper card with a plastic chip card.
Scammers are targeting people on Medicare with a plastic card scam. They will try to convince you to reveal your Medicare number, which can lead to identity theft and insurance fraud.
Medicare will first contact you through the mail if they need to reach you. They will never ask for personal or private information before providing a new Medicare number and card. If you receive an unexpected call about your Medicare card, it is a scam.
Hang up the phone and report the scam to Medicare by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Do not give out any personal information or your Medicare ID number.
In 2018, Medicare updated the card to remove Social Security numbers and replace them with a random combination of letters and numbers. This was done to better protect against identity theft.
