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Occasional Contributor
Posts: 17
Registered: ‎04-19-2010

@Cakers3wrote:

You only use your Medicare Card if you have only Medicare.

 

You do not show your Medicare Card if you have an Advantage Plan, e.g.

 

So laminate or don't laminate-you won't be using it anyway unless Medicare is your only source of insurance.

 

LOL


Not true.

Occasional Contributor
Posts: 12
Registered: ‎01-13-2013

I haven’t taken my Medicare card out of my files in years. THe company who handles your Advantage Plan issues their card and that’s what you use.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,517
Registered: ‎06-17-2015

@shoesnbagswrote:

@Cakers3wrote:

@patbzwrote:

@Cakers3:  I was asked for my Medicare card today and I do have an advantage plan (I have been asked for it about four times this year).


@patbz  Interesting.  We have an advantage plan too but only had to show our driver's license (not at our PCP since they've known us for years) at other locations to make sure we were who we said we were.

 

The point is that you don't HAVE to show the Medicare card unless that is all you have.

 

Whether you are asked for it when you have other insurance is up to that provider, I guess.

 

 


 @Cakers3

Im not sure what you mean. I have Medicare with Blue Cross as my Supplemental, and always have to show both cards. 


@shoesnbags  The only time we ever had to show our Medicare card was to the rep who signed us up for the Advantage Plan.

 

Our medicare cards haven't been shown since then.

 

This is our experience.  Yours is different.  It's no big deal.

"" Compassion is a verb."-Thich Nhat Hanh
Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,517
Registered: ‎06-17-2015

@canuck33wrote:

I haven’t taken my Medicare card out of my files in years. THe company who handles your Advantage Plan issues their card and that’s what you use.


@canuck33  This is our experience, too.  We've never had to show our Medicare card when using the Advantage card.  Only a license for identification with other providers, I presume so nobody can steal your identity.  Our PCP never asked for identification because we've been with him for years before Medicare.

 

I understand some have a different experience but there is really no reason for anybody to ask for the Medicare card.  If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan (and I presume if you have a Supplemental) that is the card you use.

 

 

"" Compassion is a verb."-Thich Nhat Hanh
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,889
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

@shoesnbagswrote:

@Cakers3wrote:

@patbzwrote:

@Cakers3:  I was asked for my Medicare card today and I do have an advantage plan (I have been asked for it about four times this year).


@patbz  Interesting.  We have an advantage plan too but only had to show our driver's license (not at our PCP since they've known us for years) at other locations to make sure we were who we said we were.

 

The point is that you don't HAVE to show the Medicare card unless that is all you have.

 

Whether you are asked for it when you have other insurance is up to that provider, I guess.

 

 


 @Cakers3

Im not sure what you mean. I have Medicare with Blue Cross as my Supplemental, and always have to show both cards. 


 

Yes.  A close friend has worked in the medical field for years, and patients are always asked to show their Medicare card even if they also have a Supplemental plan.  It's also been the same for my mother in all the time I've been taking care of her. (These examples are in two different states.)

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,889
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

@Cakers3wrote:

@shoesnbagswrote:

@Cakers3wrote:

@patbzwrote:

@Cakers3:  I was asked for my Medicare card today and I do have an advantage plan (I have been asked for it about four times this year).


@patbz  Interesting.  We have an advantage plan too but only had to show our driver's license (not at our PCP since they've known us for years) at other locations to make sure we were who we said we were.

 

The point is that you don't HAVE to show the Medicare card unless that is all you have.

 

Whether you are asked for it when you have other insurance is up to that provider, I guess.

 

 


 @Cakers3

Im not sure what you mean. I have Medicare with Blue Cross as my Supplemental, and always have to show both cards. 


@shoesnbags  The only time we ever had to show our Medicare card was to the rep who signed us up for the Advantage Plan.

 

Our medicare cards haven't been shown since then.

 

This is our experience.  Yours is different.  It's no big deal.


 

I think the confusion is because you're taking about Advantage plans, and you had said that there's no need to show a Medicare card "unless that's the only insurance you have".  And that's not correct for people who have additional coverage thru a Supplemental plan.

 

Advantage plans are a whole other category because they replace Original Medicare, so of course showing a Medicare card is not needed.  But people who have Supplemental plans certainly have insurance other than just Medicare, and they are asked to show their Medicare cards.

 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,413
Registered: ‎01-22-2012

@Cakers3wrote:

You only use your Medicare Card if you have only Medicare.

 

You do not show your Medicare Card if you have an Advantage Plan, e.g.

 

So laminate or don't laminate-you won't be using it anyway unless Medicare is your only source of insurance.

 

LOL


Not true here. I show my Medicare card all the time, and I have a Supplementary insurance. 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,413
Registered: ‎01-22-2012

@Cakers3wrote:

@patbzwrote:

@Cakers3:  I was asked for my Medicare card today and I do have an advantage plan (I have been asked for it about four times this year).


@patbz  Interesting.  We have an advantage plan too but only had to show our driver's license (not at our PCP since they've known us for years) at other locations to make sure we were who we said we were.

 

The point is that you don't HAVE to show the Medicare card unless that is all you have.

 

Whether you are asked for it when you have other insurance is up to that provider, I guess.

 

 


No, I show mine many many times, not only provider. 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,413
Registered: ‎01-22-2012

@shoesnbagswrote:

@Cakers3wrote:

@patbzwrote:

@Cakers3:  I was asked for my Medicare card today and I do have an advantage plan (I have been asked for it about four times this year).


@patbz  Interesting.  We have an advantage plan too but only had to show our driver's license (not at our PCP since they've known us for years) at other locations to make sure we were who we said we were.

 

The point is that you don't HAVE to show the Medicare card unless that is all you have.

 

Whether you are asked for it when you have other insurance is up to that provider, I guess.

 

 


 @Cakers3

Im not sure what you mean. I have Medicare with Blue Cross as my Supplemental, and always have to show both cards. 


Same here, @shoesnbags. I show both cards anything medical to include Opthamologist, Podiatrist, so on and so forth. Medicare is your FIRST payer. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 15,345
Registered: ‎05-01-2010

Where I live, with my Advantage plan, I opt out of Medicare and the Advantage plan pays for everything. I only need my United Healthcare Advantage care card. In my state if I had a supplement plan, Medicare would be my first plan and would pay and the supplemental insurance would pay the rest, depending which plan I had.