No, Medicare is not issuing new, special Medicare cards for 2021, and any calls suggesting otherwise are scams. Scammers are falsely claiming that beneficiaries need to verify their numbers to receive new plastic or chip-enabled cards, but Medicare cards remain paper-based and do not expire.
No new cards are being issued for 2025 or any upcoming year unless you personally request a replacement or are notified by Medicare. Medicare will never call, text, or email you asking for your Medicare number, Social Security number, or bank information to send you a new card.
To help protect your identity, Medicare is removing Social Security numbers from Medicare cards. Instead, the new cards will have a unique Medicare Number. This will happen automatically. You don't need to do anything or pay anyone to get your new card.
Why did I get it? Your Medicare coverage, Medicare Number, or name changed, or you (or someone on your behalf) asked for a new Medicare card.
Yes, Medicare automatically sends you a card if you're already getting Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) benefits when you turn 65 or qualify for disability, typically arriving three months before coverage starts; otherwise, you'll get your card within about two weeks after you sign up. It's a red, white, and blue card for Original Medicare (Parts A & B), and you'll get separate cards from private insurers if you enroll in Medicare Advantage (Part C) or Part D plans.
Rather than basing your Medicare number on your social security number, each new card contains a Medicare number that is unique to each person with Medicare. Your social security number is a valuable piece of information to those who seek to steal a person's identity.
Your card will never be arbitrarily deactivated, and no Medicare representatives should call you unless you call them first. If you get a call like this, knowing the safety tips below can help protect your information. We recommend that you treat your Medicare card like your social security card.
You might have noticed that your red, white, and blue Medicare card doesn't have an expiration date. That's because once you're enrolled in Original Medicare, your coverage is continuous as long as you continue to pay the monthly premiums.
Offers of a plastic Medicare card are scams.
Starting in April 2018, Medicare will mail new Medicare cards to all people with Medicare, to help protect you from identity fraud. Fraudsters are always looking for ways to get your Social Security Number so we're removing Social Security Numbers from all Medicare cards to make them safer.
You know you're being scammed on the phone if the caller uses high-pressure tactics, demands immediate payment via gift cards or wire transfers, asks for sensitive personal info (SSN, bank details), threatens arrest or fines, or offers "too-good-to-be-true" deals, as legitimate organizations won't use these aggressive, unusual methods. Real agencies won't threaten you, demand instant payment, or ask for passwords; they'll let you verify information independently.
The extra $144 added to Social Security usually comes from the Medicare Part B Giveback benefit, offered by some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans, which pays back some or all your Part B premium, showing up as extra money in your check if it's deducted from your Social Security. To qualify, you need Original Medicare (Parts A & B), pay your own Part B premium, live in a plan's service area, and enroll in a specific Medicare Advantage plan that offers this "rebate," with the amount varying by plan and location.
Yes, the Medicare Part D donut hole (coverage gap) is officially gone as of January 1, 2025, eliminated by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), simplifying coverage into three phases: deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic, with a new $2,000 out-of-pocket spending cap for covered drugs in 2025.
COLA increase, higher Medicare costs and a new tax break will affect beneficiaries' bottom lines in the year to come. From the highly anticipated cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to a less-welcome hike in Medicare premiums, Social Security beneficiaries will see several big changes in 2026.
A new unique Medicare number will replace the current Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN) on the new Medicare cards. We're taking this step to protect people with Medicare from fraudulent use of SSNs, which can lead to identity theft and illegal use of Medicare benefits.
Replacing your expired card
We'll send you a new card about 4 to 8 weeks before your current card expires. You don't need to do anything. We'll send it to the address we have for you.
Unless you take action to change it during the Annual Enrollment Period, your current Medicare coverage will renew for the following year. Automatic renewal helps ensure that you will have continuing coverage.
Here are some of the biggest Medicare mistakes to avoid:
CMS promptly launched an investigation and discovered that malicious actors had fraudulently created new accounts between 2023 and 2025 using valid beneficiary information, including Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBI), coverage start date, last name, date of birth, and zip code.
Note: Medicare has finished mailing new Medicare cards to all beneficiaries. You can still use your old card to get your care covered until January 1, 2020. However, if you have not received your new card, you should call 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227) and speak to a representative.
Medicare is switching to a card with chip in it. It's a new year so you need a new card. You need a black and white card. They need your Medicare number to see if you have received your new one yet.
Beneficiaries do not need to do anything to get new cards, and they are being mailed at no cost to the recipient. If you receive Medicare, your benefits will not change with your new card. The new cards are much more secure to use. The old cards displayed the beneficiary's Social Security number (SSN).