New Medicare cards that do not include social security numbers are being phased in to help prevent identity theft. Frank Frassetto, the administrator for the Division of Trade and Consumer Protection, says the new cards will be sent in the mail and the change will be automatic. He says no action will be required by the cardholder and says instead of a social security number, the card will include a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier that will be used for billing and checking eligibility and claim status.
“Any time people are carrying their Medicare card around currently if it has a social security number on it and then if it is lost or stolen, crooks can use that information to steal someone’s identity. So then nice thing about this is it’s not going to have you social security number on it.”
However, Frassetto warns identity thieves will still find ways to scam people. He says people should be aware of the most common methods….
“First of all, if someone is claiming to be from Medicare and asking for your Social Security number and bank information, hang up. It’s a scam. Also, if someone is asking you to pay for this new card during this process, that’s also a scam. The Medicare card is free. And then if someone is threatening to cancel your benefits if you don’t give up your money or your information, that is definitely a scam.”
Frassetto says to protect yourself from scammers, be sure to guard identifying information, shred sensitive documents, watch bills and bank statements for suspicious activity, and sign up for the Do Not Call list. Visit medicare.gov for more information.
