topic Re: New Medicare Cards in Community Chat

New Medicare Cards

millieshops — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 15:50:58 GMT

Just a reminder that beginning next week Medicare will be issuing new cards with new numbers. The transition will take about a year!

My retirement association just reminded us - Medicare will NOT charge us to issue new cards.

Medicare will NOT call you about the new card.

You don't need to do anything to get your new card (except to wait? I say)

Anyone who calls and asks you to send money to get your new card is SCAMMING you to get your accounts numbers. Do NOT take these calls.

Please be careful.

Re: New Medicare Cards

ALRATIBA — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 16:00:46 GMT

@millieshops

Wow ... I can replace my 10+ year old worn and wrinkled card!

Re: New Medicare Cards

millieshops — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 16:24:16 GMT

@ALRATIBA lol -- yes, me, too. WE have no choice - all the cards with our SS on them will automatically be gone and we'll all have new Medicare numbers. AS I understand what I'm reading, our SS will stay as is.

Just remember - the transition will be done over a year's time, you don't have to ask for a new card because it will come automatically but I didn't read how we know just when each of us will see those cards.

Also, no charge - no giving anyone your SS or bank account numbers. Anyone calling you unless you asked them to call is a THIEF!

Maybe by the end of next week, someone will post that they (or their parents?) already got a new card! That's possible.

Re: New Medicare Cards

Vivian — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 16:31:44 GMT

The stupid, cheapo cards that they have used has been absurd. I covered mine with tape, officially disapproved, in order to preserve the card. If the new cards are durable, I welcome the change.

Re: New Medicare Cards

ALRATIBA — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 16:34:37 GMT

@millieshops

It doesn't seem that difficult to send out new Medicare cards. Just a matter of sending the database to a vendor who makes cards - if the govt doesn't already have that capability.

But, knowing how "efficient" our govt can be ... your guess is as good as mine when we get the cards.

In the meantime ... our ratty cards will have to suffice.

Re: New Medicare Cards

Shawnie — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:00:02 GMT

I laminated mine, problem solved.

Re: New Medicare Cards

millieshops — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:11:45 GMT

@ALRATIBA I won't even pretend to know how the manufacturing process works, what the costs involved are, etc.

I do know we're talking about millions of cards - everyone who already has a card gets a new one - as well as the millions of updates to the system so that Medicare co-ordinates our new numbers with the old one.

Add to that the new Boomers coming into Medicare who also need this card. What's the total number to be handled each month? A long as I don't have to organize all that, and as long as my doctors continue to take my ratty card (no one has ever refused it), I'm content to wait and see the new card when it arrives.

To tell you the truth, even if they send paper cards again, I just want to live long enough to see this new card become as ratty as my current one. Let's do that!

Re: New Medicare Cards

depglass — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:49:51 GMT

Let's hope they spring for plastic. I'm tired of hearing how expensive this project will be. The idiots never should have used S.S. numbers in the first place. Do you realize how much the total Medicare budget is?

Re: New Medicare Cards

Scooby Doo — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:51:45 GMT

@Shawniewrote:
I laminated mine, problem solved.

SS cards are not supposed to be laminated. It can void the security features built into the card. When I was working in HR and people presented their SS card for identification, it was considered void if laminated. Look at the back of your card, some of them tell you not to laminate. You can put the card in a plastic sheet to protect it, but no lamination.

Re: New Medicare Cards

febe1 — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 18:45:57 GMT

@Scooby Doowrote:
@Shawniewrote:
I laminated mine, problem solved.
SS cards are not supposed to be laminated. It can void the security features built into the card. When I was working in HR and people presented their SS card for identification, it was considered void if laminated. Look at the back of your card, some of them tell you not to laminate. You can put the card in a plastic sheet to protect it, but no lamination.

Mine is laminated. I don't think many people know this. When I use my card, the person always comments how nice it's laminated and not a wrinkled card.

I hope by now they come out with a thin plastic like my driver's license.

Re: New Medicare Cards

dragonflyveb — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 18:46:20 GMT

@millieshops

I went to the CMS website. They are sending the cards out geographically in waves. There is a chart by state.

Dragonfly

Re: New Medicare Cards

SharkE — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 18:54:11 GMT

@Shawniewrote:
I laminated mine, problem solved.

No, that's not allowed. You'll find that out .

Re: New Medicare Cards

shoesnbags — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 19:00:24 GMT

@febe1wrote:
@Scooby Doowrote:
@Shawniewrote:
I laminated mine, problem solved.
SS cards are not supposed to be laminated. It can void the security features built into the card. When I was working in HR and people presented their SS card for identification, it was considered void if laminated. Look at the back of your card, some of them tell you not to laminate. You can put the card in a plastic sheet to protect it, but no lamination.
Mine is laminated. I don't think many people know this. When I use my card, the person always comments how nice it's laminated and not a wrinkled card.
I hope by now they come out with a thin plastic like my driver's license.

@febe1 @Scooby Doo @Shawnie

Mine is laminated, too. It was laminated by the staff at my primary care doctor's office, and I don't think they would be doing it if it weren't allowed.

This thread is about Medicare cards, and @Scooby Doo is talking about Social Security cards - apples and oranges. I don't think anyone has posted that her SS card is laminated, just our Medicare cards.

Re: New Medicare Cards

sunshine45 — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 19:03:41 GMT

@SharkEwrote:
@Shawniewrote:
I laminated mine, problem solved.
No, that's not allowed. You'll find that out .

actually, they dont say it is "not allowed" but they do advise against it.

my mom and my ex husband both have theirs laminated and have never had problems with them.

Re: New Medicare Cards

SharkE — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 19:05:32 GMT

more power to you, but, here in TX when I was getting my new drivers license I handed them a laminted SS card and they made me go to SS office and be issued a new one.

Maybe depends on the rep U get

Re: New Medicare Cards

sunshine45 — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 19:08:19 GMT

@SharkEwrote:
more power to you, but, here in TX when I was getting my new drivers license I handed them a laminted SS card and they made me go to SS office and be issued a new one.
Maybe depends on the rep U get

in our state we do not need anything other than our old drivers license to renew.

Re: New Medicare Cards

SharkE — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 19:08:57 GMT

I had just moved from Ind to Tx, so, I was starting out fresh

Re: New Medicare Cards

SharkE — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 19:10:17 GMT

If you can get by with it , fine.

Worse, can happen is they will send you to SS office or maybe go online to be issued one of those cheap paper things.

At any rate, it's free. LOL

Re: New Medicare Cards

DJs mom — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 19:10:34 GMT

@SharkEwrote:
more power to you, but, here in TX when I was getting my new drivers license I handed them a laminted SS card and they made me go to SS office and be issued a new one.
Maybe depends on the rep U get

@Shawnie said she laminated her medicare card NOT her SS card.

Re: New Medicare Cards

SharkE — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 19:11:44 GMT

I hope it works out for her and all.

End of discussion from my end