Medicare is mailing new, more secure Medicare cards with a Medicare number that’s unique to every person with Medicare – but with the new card, scammers are still continuing the oldest tricks in the book.

Medicare is getting rid of the old card because the old Medicare number was based on a person’s Social Security number. Scammers sometimes use Social Security numbers to try to steal someone’s identity, open new credit cards or even take out loans in someone else’s name.

Benefits won’t change with the new Medicare card, which will be mailed to Medicare clients for free – they don’t need to take any action to receive the new card.

Scammers are hoping that people won’t be informed about the change in Medicare cards, according to a Medicare representative. Scammers might try to use the opportunity to access people’s personal information. Fight back by following these tips:

• Don’t pay for your new Medicare card. It’s free. If anyone calls and says you need to pay for it, that’s a scam. Never give your Social Security number, bank account number or send cash to anyone who says they need it for you to get your new Medicare card.
• Don’t give your Medicare number to people you don’t know or haven’t contacted first. Some scammers call pretending to be from Medicare, but Medicare – or someone representing Medicare – will never ask for your personal information for you to get your new Medicare card. Only share your Medicare number with doctors or trusted people in the community who work with Medicare, like your State Health Insurance Assistance Program. Say “no thank you” to anybody you don’t know who offers to help you complete applications or forms that require you to fill out personal information like your Social Security number.
• Don’t give your bank account information to people you don’t know. If someone offers to deposit a rebate or bonus into your bank account because you got a new Medicare card, that’s a scam.
• Don’t let anyone trick you into believing your Medicare benefits will be canceled unless you give them your Medicare Number. If someone threatens to cancel your health benefits if you don’t share your Medicare number, hang up. If you get a suspicious call, contact 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY: 1-877-486-2048) or visit the Senior Medicare Patrol at smpresource.org.
• Destroy your old Medicare card. Once you get your new Medicare card, destroy your old Medicare card and start using your new one right away. Don’t just throw the old card away; shred it or cut it into small pieces.

Mailing new Medicare cards to millions of Americans takes time. Card will arrive at different times to each user. Find out when new cards start mailing to this area by visiting Medicare.gov/NewCard and signing up for email alerts from Medicare.