New Medicare Cards - and a related Scam

MEDICARE SCAM This is pretty important to get to people with Medicare, their families and friends or adult kids who help parents with Medicare. Here's what you need to know to protect yourself, family and friends throughout the US. Starting 4/1/18 Medicare will start a year long project to replace all current Medicare cards for beneficiaries to convert to alphanumeric ID numbers. Currently the ID number is your social security number. This is starting to hit the media. Scammers are opportunistic - First of all the new Medicare card will come to you in the mail. You don't need to request it or do anything. It will show up. WHAT'S THE SCAM? Somebody from "MEDICARE " will call to tell you you are getting a new Medicare card. But until it comes you will need a temporary card. Fee for the card is between $5-50 dollars. They want personal information, bank account or credit card so they can process your temporary card. THINGS TO REMEMBER Medicare will never call you unless you ask them to. Medicare does all communications by mail unless you ask them to call. Ditto for anybody saying they "work with Medicare to make sure you get everything you are entitled to" . HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THIS ONE? First of all spread the word. Feel free to share these notes. Use your answering machine to screen calls or just don't even answer a number you don't recognize. If it has happened to you or your friends or loved ones and personal info had been given out (happens considerably more often than you think so don't feel bad or stupid ) immediately take action to protect yourself against identity theft. This is the Government website; https://www.medicare.gov/ forms-help-and-resources/your- medicare-card.html EXAMPLE OF NEW CARD