Medicare Cards
First, if the individual is a member of a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), their Original Medicare card (red, white and blue card) should be accessible, but you never pull it out! Doing so can cause all kinds of confusion. Simply make sure it is in good shape (legible) and safely tucked away, but leave it hidden. Instead, they will use the Medicare Advantage card provided by the private insurance company they have their policy with. Usually one card is provided for both doctor/hospital visits and prescription drug coverage, but not always. If they have a separate card for prescriptions (Medicare Part D), make sure that it is also in decent condition and accessible.
If your loved one is on Original Medicare (Parts A and B) they do need to have their red, white and blue Medicare card handy. This is true regardless of whether or not they have a supplement plan. If the card is moth-eaten or expired, please know that obtaining a new card is actually quite simple. By going to www.ssa.gov and clicking on “What you can do online,” you can order a replacement card. After it arrives, you should shred the original.
Because optional Part D plans change their prices and formularies so often, you or your care recipient may have a multitude of cards from various prescription plans. Do you know which one is current?
By using the Medicare Plan Finder www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan/questions/home.aspx, you can make sure you know what the current plan is and discard/destroy any extra cards that just happen to be hanging around.
The same goes for a Medicare supplement card. Is there only one in there? If they have more than one, make sure you keep and use the correct one and shred or cut up those that are no longer valid.
There’s nothing worse than having bills applied to a canceled plan, thereby delaying payment and causing all kinds of mail to show up on your doorstep.
If you are aware of details regarding your loved one’s Medicare enrollment and certain cards are missing, contact the entity responsible for issuing replacements. This will either be the Medicare Card Replacement section of the Social Security Administration or the private insurance provider that your loved has purchased coverage from. If you have additional questions about commonly used Medicare terms, dealing with changes in health status or the availability of insurance plans, MyMedicareMatters is a helpful site for caregivers.
