More than 1.3 million Medicare beneficiaries nationwide are being issued new identification cards with new account numbers following a data security incident, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Officials say benefits and coverage remain unchanged, but advocates are warning the transition could create confusion — and opportunities for fraud.
Mailings of the new cards began April 14. Recipients are instructed to begin using the new cards immediately and destroy their old ones.
Maria Alvarez, executive director of the New York Statewide Senior Action Council and New York’s administrator for the Senior Medicare Patrol, said the change stems from a large-scale compromise of beneficiary information.
“Starting April 14, 1.3 million beneficiaries throughout the entire country received new Medicare cards in the mail … because there were many Medicare beneficiaries whose numbers were compromised,” Alvarez said.
What’s changing — and what’s not
The update affects only identification numbers, not coverage or services.
“What stays exactly the same is all of their benefits. There’s no changes to their services. The only thing that changed was their numbers,” Alvarez said.
Still, the unusual nature of the rollout — with new cards arriving unprompted — may raise concerns among recipients. Alvarez urged beneficiaries to verify the legitimacy of any new card before discarding the old one.
“The important thing would be that once they receive the card, to call Medicare to verify that this card is in fact the new card … and then they can destroy the old card,” she said.
Fraud risks and red flags
Consumer advocates say scammers may try to exploit the change by posing as Medicare representatives.
“Anytime anybody asks you to divulge numbers or your personal information over the phone, that would be a red flag,” Alvarez said. “I would just hang up the phone and not give out that information whatsoever.”
She emphasized that government agencies typically do not call beneficiaries asking for sensitive details.
“Medicare and Social Security and the IRS … will not call you over the phone … to ask you for that personal information because they already have the information,” Alvarez said.
Steps beneficiaries should take
Alvarez encouraged recipients to:
- Open all mail from Medicare and review it carefully
- Verify new cards with Medicare or trusted assistance programs
- Notify doctors and health providers of updated numbers
- Check Medicare statements and explanation of benefits for unfamiliar charges
Keeping providers informed is also key to avoiding disruptions in care.
“They should also speak with their doctor’s offices … and inform them of the new card and their new number so that way their services don’t go uninterrupted,” Alvarez said.
Help available
Advocates say assistance is available for those unsure how to proceed.
“Just call Medicare, call the Senior Medicare Patrol … we’re here to help people … because it is a very challenging situation and it’s out of the norm,” Alvarez said.
The Senior Medicare Patrol helpline is 1-800-333-4374.
Image: A Medicare card is seen June 10, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)