Starting this April, Medicare will be issuing new cards that no longer contain Social Security Numbers. The new cards will have new Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBIs) instead of Social Security Number (SSN)-based Health Insurance Claim Numbers (HICNs) to help protect the identities of people with Medicare. The new card won’t change your coverage or benefits. You’ll get more information from Medicare when your new card is mailed. In the state of California, Medicare cards will be mailed in May 2018.

Here’s how you can get ready:
■ Make sure your mailing address is up to date. If your address needs to be
corrected, contact Social Security at ssa.gov/myaccount or 1-800-772-1213.
TTY users can call 1-800-325-0778.

■ Beware of anyone who contacts you about your new Medicare card. We’ll
never ask you to give us personal or private information to get your new
Medicare Number and card.

■ Understand that mailing everyone a new card will take some time. Your card
might arrive at a different time than your friend’s or neighbor’s.

3 Things to Know
1. People who are enrolling in Medicare for the first time will be among the first in the country to receive the new cards.

2. Your new card will automatically come to you. You don’t need to do anything as long as your address is up to date. If you need to update your address, visit your My Social Security account.

3. Once you get your new Medicare card, destroy your old Medicare card and start using your new card right away.