1. New Medicare Cards: What You Need to Know
June 2018

2. What We Will Cover Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Program
New Medicare Card
SMP Message
Hi, my name is (NAME) and I am from the Illinois SMP Program. Today, I’ll talk about SMP, the new Medicare card, and how to Protect, Detect, and Report Medicare fraud.

3. The SMP Program www.illinoissmp.org
The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Program is a national program available in every state, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

4. Where to Turn for Help With Fraud
The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Program
Goals of SMP:
Recruit local volunteers to provide outreach and educate consumers about health care fraud and abuse
Help consumers with questions about billing mistakes and how to report fraud
The SMP Program recruits volunteers to educate their peers about how to prevent, detect, and report fraud, waste, and abuse.
SMP staff and volunteers give presentations to groups, share information at community events, and help consumers one-on-one with questions about potential fraud, waste, or abuse.

5. The New Medicare Card

6. New Medicare Cards Are Now Being Mailed!
New Medicare cards are now being mailed in Illinois (effective July 2018)

7. Why am I getting a new Medicare Card?
Legislation required the removal of Social Security numbers from all Medicare cards.
This is to help protect people on Medicare from identity theft.
Each person on Medicare will be assigned a new, random, unique Medicare number.
(Presenter Note: Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015 mandated the removal of the Social Security Number from Medicare cards.)

8. What will my new card look like?
It will still be red, white, and blue
It will include your:
Name
New Medicare Number
Dates that Medicare Part A and
Medicare Part B coverage started
Every card is both English and Spanish
Your new Medicare card will still be red, white, and blue.
It will include your name, new Medicare number (a combination of 11 alpha numeric characters), dates that Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B coverage started.
It is in both English and Spanish

9. What is different about my new Medicare card?
It will no longer have a Social Security Number on it.
It will no longer include gender or a signature line.
It will no longer have a Social Security number on it.
It will no longer include gender or a signature line.

10. Sample of a New Medicare Card
A larger view (sample) of the New Medicare Card

11. New Medicare Card Envelope
front
The new Medicare card will be mailed in a plain, white Department of Health and Human Services envelope.
Your name and address will be shown through the window on the envelope.
back

12. New Medicare Care – Mailing Insert
The card is perforated
This is the insert on which your new Medicare card will arrive. Notice that the card is perforated.
Also notice that messaging on the insert is in both English and Spanish.
The text on the back of the card reads:
Back of card : You may be asked to show this card when you get health care services. Only give your personal Medicare information to health care providers, your insurers, or people you trust who work with Medicare on your behalf. WARNING: Intentionally misusing this card may be considered fraud and/or other violation of federal law and is punishable by law MEDICARE ( )/TTY: ); Medicare.gov

13. When will I get my new Medicare card?
Cards will be mailed by the U.S. Post Office via first class mail.
CMS just began mailing new Medicare cards to beneficiaries in Illinois. Watch for it to arrive!
It will take time for all Medicare cards to be mailed, so you may get your card at a different time than others.
You do not have to do anything to get your new Medicare card.
Your new card will be mailed by the U.S. Post Office via first class mail..
CMS just began to mail new Medicare cards to beneficiaries in Illinois.
It will take time for CMS to mail the new cards to every person who has Medicare; therefore, you may get your card at a different time than family, friends and neighbors.

14. What changes can I expect?
Only your Medicare card and Medicare number will change.
Your Medicare benefits will stay the same.
Your Social Security Number and card are not changing; remember to keep that card in a safe place!
Your Medicare card and Medicare number will change; however, your benefits will stay the same.
Your Social Security Number and card will stay the same, too.
This has no impact on your Social Security Number or card.
To help protect your identity, remember to keep your Social Security Number in a safe place.

15. What should I do when I receive my new Medicare card?
Start to use your new Medicare card right away after you receive it in the mail.
Safely and securely destroy your old Medicare card.
If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, a Part D prescription plan, or a Medicare Supplement plan, keep those cards and continue to use them when you get health care or fill a prescription.
When you receive your new Medicare card in the mail, start to use it right away.
Most old Medicare cards have a Social Security number on them; therefore, to help prevent identity theft, safely and securely destroy your old card once your receive your new card in the mail.
If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, a Medicare Part D plan, and/or a Medicare supplement plan, do not destroy those cards. You will want to continue to use those cards when you visit your health care providers or fill a prescription.

16. Beware of Scammers! Your new Medicare card is FREE.
Medicare will NEVER call you and ask for personal information or for money.
If someone asks you for your information, for money, or threatens to cancel your health benefits in exchange for a new Medicare card, this is a SCAM!
Your new Medicare card is FREE.
It is a SCAM when:
Somebody calls you on the phone and asks for you to verify your old Medicare number or other personal information in order to mail you a new card.
Somebody calls you on the phone and threatens to cancel your Medicare benefits if you do not give them personal information or money in exchange for a new Medicare card.

17. What is Health Care Fraud?
Billing for services or supplies that were not provided.
Billing for services or supplies that are different than what was actually provided.
Billing for services or supplies that you do not need.
Health care fraud occurs when there is:
Billing for services or supplies not provided
Billing for services or supplies that are different than what was actually provided
Billing for services or supplies that you do not need

18. How does Medicare fraud affect me?
Scammers try to steal your Medicare number to falsely bill Medicare.
This may prevent you from getting health care services when you need them.
It also increases Medicare costs that we all pay.

19. The SMP Message:
Protect!
Detect!
Report!
Prevent

20. Prevent Medicare Fraud
Treat your new Medicare number like a credit card.
Only give your number to trusted providers.
Only carry your Medicare card when you need to use it, for example, when you go to a doctor.
Even though your new Medicare number will no longer be your Social Security Number, you still must protect your Medicare card just as you would a credit card.
Scammers can still bill your Medicare account for supplies and services you did not receive or do not need.
Only share your Medicare card or number with providers you know and trust.
Do not give your number to strangers over the phone, at your door, or at a health fair.

21. Detect Medicare Fraud
Read your Medicare Summary Notice or Explanation of Benefits from your insurance company. Watch for:
Services that you did not get
Names of providers you do not recognize
Billing for the same thing twice
Other billing errors

22. Create a MyMedicare.gov Account
If you are comfortable on a computer, create your own MyMedicare.gov account.
In your account you can:
Print your new Medicare card
Check your eMSN early
If you are comfortable on the computer, you may sign up for a MyMedicare.gov account.
This is an image of the welcome page (dashboard) on the MyMedicare.gov website.
You can use MyMedicare.gov to check your eMSN early to see what services and supplies have been billed to your account; you do not have to wait for your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) to arrive in the mail.
You can also print your card.

23. MyMedicare.gov Check eMSN and Print Your New Card
This is a larger image of the “Welcome to MyMedicare.gov page after logging in or creating a MyMedicare.gov account.
The “View or print your new Medicare card” link (located in the yellow “New Medicare Cards” box) only displays for beneficiaries who have already had their new card mailed.
It is highly recommended that you read your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN). That way you can detect potential fraud.

24. Report Medicare Fraud If you notice a mistake:
Call the provider. If it is just a mistake, they may be able to fix the problem.
If this does not work or you suspect fraud, call the Illinois SMP (ask for “SMP”) at AgeOptions at (800)

25. If you have questions, contact the Illinois SMP at AgeOptions
Thank You!
If you have questions, contact the Illinois SMP at AgeOptions
(800)
This project was supported, in part by grant number 90MPPG0036, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.