document.write(''); An estimated 41% of adults face health-care debt, ranging from under $500 (16%) to $10,000 or more (12%), according to a new report. 0000017036 00000 n
This card lists your name and the dates that your Original Medicare hospital insurance (Part A) and medical insurance (Part B) began. If you dont have a shredder, cut the card up into small pieces, making sure your SSN is obliterated. It will also show your Medicare number, which serves as an identification number in the Medicare system. Health Minister Mark Butler has confirmed the government is now examining whether new Medicare cards will need to be issued to protect the customers against identity fraud. Answer: This call has been coming to so many individuals in our area. For 2022, the agency is increasing the availability ofmental health services via telehealth. Medicare continues to focus more attention ontelehealth, especially during the pandemic. // } All beneficiaries should For questions and concerns or to reach Janell Sluga, GCMC, call 716-720-9797 or email SLM@lutheran-jamestown.org. CMS staff will not call an individual unsolicited. If I dont have my medicare number, I cant use the Frequently Asked Questions section to log in because it requires my medicare number. document.write('FCC '); There are SHIPs in each U.S. state, territory, and the District of Columbia. NONE OF THESE THINGS ARE TRUE. If you are enrolled in a Part D plan (Medicare prescription drug benefit), you will use the Part D plans card at the pharmacy. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. However, not everyone enrolled in Medicare is getting Social Security benefits yet, and how much enrollees will end up seeing of the COLA increase will depend on the size of their monthly Social Security benefit. 0000012741 00000 n
To report an impersonator who pretended to be from Medicare, call 1-800-MEDICARE and visit, . You can always print an official copy of your card or order a new one from your online Medicare account. Be extra cautious of anyone asking for access to your checking account to pay a fee for the new card. endstream
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You can get help comparing Medicare plans from your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). If you need your new number before the replacement card arrives, you can log on to myMedicare.gov and print out an official copy of your new card. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy. Fax:(504) 568-5701 103 0 obj
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It will be a paper card in red, white and blue. The caller claims you need to pay a fee to get a new or upgraded Medicare card, Someone threatens to cancel your Medicare coverage unless you provide personal information over the phone. Editors note: This article was updated with new information. May 17, 2018 For example: If you notice one of these marketing violations, please tell your local Senior Medicare Patrol. Dont trust the name displayed on your phones CallerID screen. A decision earlier this year by Medicare to stop using its beneficiaries' Social Security numbers as account numbers has not gone unnoticed by scammers. New Medicare cards began mailing April 2018. Medicare began mailing out new Medicare cards between April 2018 and April 2019. The new cards feature a unique Medicare Number, rather than a Social Security Number. The new Medicare Numbers are 11 characters including numbers and uppercase letters. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. If you dont have a myMedicare.gov/ account yet, go to create an account and follow the instructions. Also, the law may vary from state-to-state or county-to-county, so that some information in this website may not be correct for your situation. } Medicare beneficiaries are getting new ID cards soon that won't carry their Social Security numbers, the Health and Human Services Department said Tuesday. Private insurance companies administer, market, and sell Medicare Advantage (MA, Part C) and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Part D), so its important to understand your rights and some of the limits on marketing. As new seniors enroll in Medicare, they will receive the updated card. Dena Bunis covers Medicare, health care, health policy and Congress. If you were a little too jolly with your holiday spending, here are some tips to help you pay down your credit card debt. The mailing schedule and status of card mailings will be available on Medicare.gov. The personal information that could have been compromised include name, address, date of birth, phone number, Social Security number, Medicare beneficiary identifier, banking information (including routing and account numbers) and Medicare entitlement, enrollment and premium information. The 254,000 beneficiaries whose personal information may have been compromised should receive a letter from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services about the data breach. Senior Life Matters is a community based program sponsored by Lutheran Jamestown. If your card is ever lost, stolen, or damaged, you can get a replacement card by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227). New Medicare Cards Are Being Issued. Anyone can access our Frequently Asked Questions. Arizona is near the bottom of the list (group 6 of 7), so our cards will most likely be mailed late this year or early in 2019. Keep in mind // } opens in new window opens in new window opens in new window Based on current COVID-19 trends, the Department of Health and Human Services is planning for the federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 (PHE), declared under Section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, to expire at the end of the day on May 11, 2023 . A decision earlier this year by Medicare to stop using its beneficiaries' Social Security numbers as account numbers has not gone unnoticed by scammers. How to protect your personal information and privacy, stay safe online, and help your kids do the same. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect. (If you get Medicare through the Railroad Retirement Board, your card will say Railroad Retirement Board at the bottom.). Can a biosimilar reduce the cost of your medication? I know that is too many numbers but it works. %PDF-1.7
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Dont trust the name displayed on your phones CallerID screen. Have you seen the hundreds of pages of legalize one would have to read and understand? WebChanges to Medicare in 2022 include a historic rise in premiums, as well as expanded access to mental health services through telehealth and more affordable options for insulin through prescription drug plans. "The safeguarding and security of beneficiary information is of the utmost importance to this agency," CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in the announcement. More from Personal Finance:Used car prices are down 3.3% from a year ago63% of Americans living paycheck to paycheckHow health insurance is helping cool inflation. I have talked in previous articles about individuals reporting that during the year they hear from their current insurance company via the phone to talk about additional benefits they may be eligible for. Women need to understand their Social Security benefitbut thats not all! // You will also use this card at the pharmacy if your plan serves as your Part D coverage. As the new year begins, Congress is still debating several proposals that would change the face of Medicare, including adding a hearing benefit and several proposals to lower the price of prescription drugs, including capping out-of-pocket costs in Part D plans. Plastic Medicare cards are much more durable, fit nicely in your wallet and are easier for providers to photocopy. You can replace your Original Medicare card by calling 1-800-633-4227 or by logging into your medicare.gov account. Note: Medicare has finished mailing new Medicare cards to all beneficiaries. If a new Medicare card is received in the mail, call 1-800-MEDICARE (800-633-4627) and confirm that a new Medicare number has been issued. However, once the bugs are worked out, we should end up with a safer system. again. The 2015 Act requires all federal and private health information systems to be ready to process claims with the new cards by 2018. Start small, then add on. The Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center Lois C. Greisman, Elder Justice Coordinator, FTC October 15, 2021 During Medicares Open Enrollment Period (OEP), It may also be is to prevent their social security numbers from being used by criminals. The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. // End Column 1 Header In 2023, the Medicare Part A deductible will be $1,600 for each benefit period. The annual Part B deductible will be $233 this year, an increase of $30. 0000005432 00000 n
Free credit-monitoring services also is available to beneficiaries who are affected. If you have a supplemental insurance plan, like a retiree or union plan, make sure to show that plans card to your doctor or hospital, too, so that they can bill the plan for your out-of-pocket costs. Thank you for your response. All beneficiaries In April, In the first half of 2022, more than 53 million individuals in the U.S. were affected by data compromises, according to Statista. If you belong to a Medicare Advantage plan, continue using your plan card as well as any cards for drug plans you may have. In recent weeks, the FCC has been receiving complaints about scammers calling pretending to be Medicare representatives, often using caller ID spoofing to mask their identity. This is especially true for people who need behavioral health services, and the improvements we are enacting will give people greater access totelehealth and other care deliveryoptions.. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) officials say this largest-ever dollar increase was necessary because of three factors: The Part B premium increase will be somewhat offset by the 5.9 percent increase in Social Security's annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). This website has been prepared for general information purposes only. If you need to know your new Medicare Number, please visit myMedicare.gov/ account and sign in. They cant promise that you can keep your Medigap plan (supplemental plan) when you sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan. document.write('FCCFCC'); // If your address needs to be corrected so the new Medicare card arrives at the right place, contact Social Security at ssa.gov/myaccount or call (800) 772-1213. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. else { //English or undefined language If you think someone misused your personal or financial information, report it at IdentityTheft.gov and get started on a recovery plan. Agents cant set their own time limits for you to sign up for a plan. Agents cannot suggest that Medicare endorses or prefers their plan. hb``Pf``ma P30pVbIa=L>BL We wont post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity. CMS officials say this means that counseling and therapy services, including the treatment of substance use disorders, will be more available, especially in areas where not everyone has access to broadband. bUP6LrR/3Qlhzb8{[\.(~x^D. 0000002144 00000 n
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Medicare Coverage Outside the United States The new Medicare cards are free and you dont need to do anything to receive one: Theyre being sent automatically to everyone enrolled in the program. } } They will ask you to verify your Medicare ID #, so you give them the number and they repeat it back to you or say okay. Medicare will never call you uninvited and request information over the phone. Instead of your Social Security Number (SSN), your new Medicare card will include a new number unique to you. 0000004090 00000 n
Members can continue to use their existing ID cards until the new one is received, or they can visit Wellcare's secure portal to obtain a digital copy. It took a very long time, but its in the works, Sue Greeno of the nonprofit Center for Medicare Advocacy said. The new Medicare card will still be white, with red, blue, and black print, but it will sport a different design, as shown in the samples below from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website. In reply to Wish these things were true by Kg65Don't use , In reply to " Take your time to read all by Max. You can also order or print a card by logging in to your mymedicare.gov account. An award-winning journalist, Bunis spent decades working for metropolitan daily newspapers, including as Washington bureau chief for theOrange County Registerand as a health policy and workplace writer forNewsday. The published schedule is as follows, and as far as I can ascertain, the cards will be mailed in the order listed below: The Government cannot give us a more precise time frame. When your social security number is on your Medicare card, every employee of every health care provider, lab, and pharmacy you use has the key to your identity and financial life. Everyone who enrolls in Medicare receives a red, white, and blue Medicare card. You can also print an official copy of your card from your online Medicare account or call 1-800-MEDICARE ( 1-800-633-4227 TTY 1-877-486-2048) for assistance. [CDATA[// >