| Fraud Facts, News,

This information is coming to us from the Missouri SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol)
Starting in April, Medicare will begin mailing new Medicare cards to all people with Medicare. The new card is to help protect you from identity theft. Fraudsters are always looking for ways to get your Social Security number, so Medicare is removing Social Security numbers from all Medicare cards to make them safer.
However, Medicare will NOT begin mailing the new cards in Missouri until AFTER JUNE. That means we still have to wait awhile.
Your new card will have a new Medicare number that’s unique to you. The new card will help protect your identity and keep your personal information more secure. Your Medicare coverage and benefits stay the same.
Medicare will automatically mail your new card – at no cost – to the address you have on file with Social Security. There’s nothing you need to do! If you need to update your official mailing address, contact Social Security either online or by phone.
Beware of people contacting you about your new Medicare card and asking you for your Medicare number, personal information, or to pay a fee for your new card. NO ONE from Medicare is going to call you asking for that information.
You are going to start seeing and hearing public service announcements about the new cards. Just remember, in Missouri, we will not see any new cards until sometime AFTER JUNE.
For more information about your new Medicare card, visit go.medicare.gov/newcard.
As always, report suspected Medicare fraud to the Missouri (SMP) Senior Medicare Patrol at (888) 515-6565. SMPs are funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, Administration on Aging.
This project was supported, in part by grant number 90MP0204, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy.
Care Connection operates the SMP in Missouri, under the direction of Rona McNally.