New Medicare cards must be used; old SSN-based cards no longer accepted

Old Medicare cards were based on the beneficiary’s social security number. New Medicare cards instead feature random alphanumeric-based numbers. Each beneficiary’s new number is unique.

As of Jan. 1, only the new cards can be used. Old cards should be destroyed, and people should start using their new cards right away. New cards began being mailed in April 2018, so some may have already been using their new cards for quite some time already. Though either could be used through December 2019, now the old SSN-based cards are not being accepted anymore.

New cards are paper, as they are easier for many providers to use and copy, and they save taxpayers money. Replacements can be printed at home if needed.

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