No, Medicare is not calling you about new cards. If you received a call from someone claiming to be from Medicare and asking about a new card, it is almost certainly a scam. Medicare will never call you out of the blue to ask for personal information, and your Medicare card is always mailed to you automatically and free of charge.
Why These Calls Are Scams
Scammers frequently impersonate Medicare over the phone, telling beneficiaries they need to “update” their card, switch to a new card with a chip, or verify their identity to receive a replacement. These calls can sound convincing, especially because modern technology lets callers fake the number that shows up on your caller ID. The FCC calls this “spoofing,” and scammers routinely use it to make calls appear as though they’re coming from a government agency you trust.
The real goal is to get you to hand over your Social Security number, Medicare number, or bank account details. Once scammers have that information, they can bill fraudulent charges to your Medicare account or steal your identity.
What Medicare Will and Won’t Do
Medicare has a clear policy: it will never call you and ask for personal information in order to send you a card. Your card is yours for free. There is no activation fee, no processing charge, and no reason anyone from Medicare would need your bank information to issue one. If anyone says you need to pay for a Medicare card, that’s a scam.
Medicare will only call and ask for personal information in a handful of specific situations, such as when a representative is returning a call you initiated, following up on a fraud report you filed, or responding to a message you left. In other words, if you didn’t reach out to Medicare first, Medicare isn’t reaching out to you.
The agency also won’t threaten to cancel your health benefits if you don’t share your Medicare number. That pressure tactic is designed to make you panic and comply. If you hear it, hang up.
The Last Real Card Update Already Happened
The most recent large-scale Medicare card change took place between April 2018 and the end of 2019. During that transition, Medicare replaced cards that displayed Social Security numbers with new cards using a unique Medicare Beneficiary Identifier, or MBI. Every enrolled beneficiary received their new card by mail at no cost, with no phone call required. Since January 2020, the MBI has been the only accepted identifier for Medicare claims.
There is no current or announced transition to a plastic card, a card with a chip, or any other new format. Scammers have latched onto the memory of the 2018 transition and continue recycling variations of the same pitch years later.
Common Scam Tactics to Watch For
- Requesting your Social Security or Medicare number. The caller says they need it to “verify your identity” or “activate” a new card.
- Asking for a payment. They claim there’s a fee to process or ship the card, and they need a credit card or bank account number.
- Threatening cancellation. They warn that your Medicare benefits will be terminated unless you provide information immediately.
- Offering an “upgraded” card. They describe a new plastic or chip-enabled card that doesn’t actually exist.
- Spoofing the caller ID. The call appears to come from “Medicare” or a Washington, D.C. area code to seem legitimate.
What to Do If You Get One of These Calls
Hang up. Don’t press any buttons, don’t engage with the caller, and don’t confirm any personal details. If you’re unsure whether the call might have been real, contact Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). You can verify your account status, check on your card, and confirm whether anyone from Medicare was actually trying to reach you.
If you’ve already shared information with a suspicious caller, call 1-800-MEDICARE right away to report it. You can also file a complaint with the Office of Inspector General at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) or through their online portal at oig.hhs.gov.
How to Get a Replacement Card Legitimately
If you actually need a new copy of your Medicare card because yours was lost, stolen, or damaged, the process is simple and free. Log into your Medicare account at medicare.gov to print an official copy immediately or order a replacement by mail. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE to request one over the phone. No one will ask you to pay, and no one needs to call you first to make it happen.