How to Get, Replace, and Protect Your Medicare Card
Key takeaways:
Most people enroll in Medicare around the time they turn age 65, but some younger people also are eligible.
You receive a Medicare card when you enroll in original Medicare. The card lists your name, a Medicare number unique to you, the coverage you are entitled to receive, and the date the coverage begins.
If your Medicare card is lost, damaged, or stolen, there are several ways you can have it replaced.
Medicare is a federal public health insurance program that provides coverage to people 65 and older as well as younger people with disabilities, permanent kidney failure, and Lou Gehrig’s disease. There are more than 55 million people covered by Medicare.
When you sign up for Medicare, you will receive a Medicare card. Here’s everything you need to know about how to get, replace, and protect your Medicare card.
What is a Medicare card for?
Your Medicare card is proof of your enrollment in Medicare.
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Having Medicare coverage gives you access to hospital care (Part A) and other medical services (Part B) across the country at locations that accept this insurance. If you join a Medicare drug plan (Part D), you also will have help with the cost of prescription medications and recommended vaccines.
You will qualify for hospital and medical services in all 50 states, as well as territories and commonwealths including:
American Samoa
District of Columbia
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
What information does the Medicare card have on it?
Your Medicare card is a red, white, and blue card about the size of a credit card. Your Medicare card has identifying information and details about your insurance coverage, including:
Your name
Your personal Medicare ID number, known as your “Medicare beneficiary identifier” or MBI
Start dates of your benefits, such as Part A and Part B coverage
Previously, Medicare cards used Social Security numbers (SSNs) for the member ID. A federal law passed in 2015 required SSNs to be removed from the Medicare cards to reduce the risk of the information being used for fraudulent purposes such as identity theft.
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Now, your Medicare card will have a mix of 11 letters and numbers as your unique Medicare beneficiary identifier or MBI. The letters do not have any special or hidden meaning.
It’s important to note that if you are enrolled in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, you will have a separate ID card to present at the pharmacy.
When do you get a Medicare card?
When you receive your Medicare card depends on whether your benefits begin automatically and require enrollment. The card will arrive in the mail within 30 days of your enrollment.
Your Medicare card will arrive in the first mail you receive from Medicare as part of a “Welcome to Medicare” package with a letter and informational booklet.
This package is mailed to people who:
Sign up for Medicare around the time they turn 65 during the 7-month window, which is 3 months before your birth month, your birth month, and 3 months after your birth month (enrollment is through the Social Security Administration)
Are automatically enrolled because they receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits or certain Railroad Retirement Board disability benefits
Enroll if they have ALS or permanent kidney failure
Sign up during a special enrollment period
How do you replace your lost or stolen Medicare card?
If your card is lost, stolen, damaged, or destroyed, you can get another one.
Your options for requesting a replacement include:
Calling 1-800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227) and ordering a new card
Visiting MyMedicare.gov to log in to your account, where you can print an official copy of your Medicare card and order another one
Signing in to your Social Security account and requesting another Medicare card; this should work even if you don’t receive Social Security benefits
Visit or contact a Social Security office; you can find the address and contact information for one near you with this Social Security office locator
Call the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213
It’s important to watch out for fraud or Medicare identity theft if your card is stolen. Someone else could use your card to access services or items that will be billed to your account. One way to check for Medicare identity theft is to review your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN). The MSN is a summary of services and supplies billed to Medicare from your account. You should receive this summary every 3 months, if you have accessed services or supplies. You can report suspected fraud or Medicare identity theft by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
How can I protect my Medicare card?
Your Medicare card is your passport to health insurance. Here are some tips for protecting your Medicare card:
Carry your card with you when you leave home locally or travel. This reduces the risk of theft while you’re away but also gives you access to care, if needed.
Consider carrying an official copy instead of your actual card.
Though it’s not illegal, laminating your card is not advised. Consider using a clear card holder or envelope to protect your card from wear and tear.
Consider including a copy of your Medicare card in your preparedness kit or go bag in the event of an emergency or disaster. You can print an official copy from your Medicare.gov account.
How do you use your Medicare card?
You’re able to use your card once you’re eligible for Medicare. You can print and use an official copy while you wait for your card to arrive in the mail. Once you receive your card, you’re able to use it — no activation required. Any time you visit a healthcare provider, bring your Medicare card so that you can verify your coverage and the office can submit claims for your treatment.
Who is eligible for a Medicare card?
Generally, you are eligible for the Medicare program if you are at least 65 years old.
Some people can access this health insurance program earlier if:
You’ve received Social Security disability benefits or Railroad Retirement Board disability benefits prior to turning 65 for at least 24 months
You have ALS or permanent kidney failure
Should I be concerned about the information on my Medicare card if it is lost or stolen?
Maybe. The identifying information on the Medicare card no longer includes your Social Security number, but someone could engage in Medicare identity theft by using your card and accessing your benefits.
It’s important to review your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) that should be mailed to you every 3 months if services or supplies are accessed through your account. You can report suspected fraud or Medicare identity theft by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Are you sent a replacement Medicare card automatically when it expires?
Your Medicare card does not expire. Unless you change your plan, your Medicare coverage will automatically renew, and you can use the same card.
If you do change plans, then you will need to request a new card.
The bottom line
Your Medicare card is proof of enrollment in Part A and/or Part B of the Medicare health insurance program. It’s important for you to keep your card safe and accessible for when you need care. You will receive your Medicare card in the mail with a “Welcome to Medicare” package after you enroll yourself or are automatically enrolled.
If your card is lost, stolen, damaged, or destroyed, you can get a replacement by contacting Medicare or the Social Security Administration. If your card is stolen, closely review your Medicare Summary Notice for unauthorized charges and report any Medicare identity theft.
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References
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). We're using Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBIs).
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2021). Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBIs).
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2021). Top 5 things you need to know about Medicare enrollment.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022). Medicare coverage - General information.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022). New Medicare cards.
Medicare.gov. (n.d.). "Medicare Summary Notice" (MSN).
Medicare.gov. (n.d.). “Welcome to Medicare” package (not automatically enrolled).
Medicare.gov. (n.d.). Log in.
Medicare.gov. (n.d.). Replacing lost Medicare cards in a disaster or emergency.
Medicare.gov. (n.d.). What's Medicare?.
Medicare.gov. (n.d.). Your Medicare card.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2016). How do I get a new Medicare card if my card is lost, stolen, or damaged? How do I change my contact information?.
U.S. Social Security Administration. (n.d.). Sign in.
U.S. Social Security Administration. (n.d.). Social Security office locator.
