Question: I recently saw an article that Medicare is issuing new ID cards due to a data breach. When will mine arrive?

Answer: You did hear correctly that there was a data breach and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be issuing new Medicare cards to everyone that was impacted. What is significant to understand is that there are over 67 Million individuals on Medicare and issued Medicare cards. Only 103,000 will be issued NEW Medicare numbers and therefore new cards. So that is NOT a lot. This does not mean you aren’t one of the Americans enrolled in Medicare who are impacted. It simply means this data breach and new ID’s impacts a very small percentage of those on Medicare.

This started very recently, in May of 2025, CMS began hearing from Americans via the call center that beneficiaries received letters confirming the creation of medicare.gov accounts that they didn’t initiate. CMS launched an investigation and confirmed that in fact new medicare.gov accounts had been established for individuals without their knowledge. These unauthorized accounts are certainly a concern and to protect the beneficiaries impacted, new Medicare IDs have been created.

Those impacted will receive written notification from CMS confirming they were impacted and explaining that a new Medicare ID card would be arriving shortly.

The fact that Medicare Identification are a uniquely assigned combination of letters and numbers, (what is called an ‘alpha-numeric” ID) means they can be replaced easily with new ID’s assigned to enrollees.

Your question of when you will get yours is not completely answerable. Because the percentage of individuals impacted compared to the number of individuals enrolled in Medicare, the likelihood of you being one of those individuals is very low. But if you are one of those beneficiaries, you will receive a letter from CMS and then, at a later date, the new ID card.

The new replacement Medicare card is still a paper card. You can laminate it, if you like. You can also cover it with clear packing tape to make it last longer.

In the event it is ever destroyed or needs to be replaced, you can request a new one. The process is easy and can now be done in a number of ways. Historically we have told you to contact the Social Security Administration (SSA). This contact can be done a variety of ways, and once requested, SSA will send you a replacement Medicare card.

To contact SSA, you can either call 1-800-772-1213; go to the website, or call the local office. The local offices are open to the public Monday thru Fri 9am to 4pm.

You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE to get a new card. This number is available to you 24 hours a day and you can speak with the customer service staff of CMS and get your replacement Medicare card ordered.

Another way to get a new Medicare card is to use the www.mymedicare.gov website. This website will also require you to establish a login and password. Once established, the website can give you lots of information. At www.mymedicare.gov you can see information about insurance claims, procedures that you have had, and when you can have them again. You can also see and print off your Medicare card for immediate use. Realize this will print on the paper you have in your printer, so it won’t be card stock unless you have that in your printer. This could be very useful if you are out and about and don’t have your card with you. You can use your smartphone to access your mymedicare.gov account and then show the card to your provider.

Most beneficiaries won’t ‘remember’ their Medicare ID card number, so you will definitely have to carry it with you.

It is important for everyone to remember that CMS will send your ID automatically if you have been impacted. You do not have to ask for it, consent to have it sent to you or talk with anyone over the phone about it. Please do not give out that information over the phone. Do not respond to a person or organization who says they will help get your new Medicare Card.

It is also important to remember that if you are impacted, this new Medicare card does not change your Medicare benefit in any way. If you have other insurance that you use, you will still get a new Medicare card. The sending of your new Medicare Card does not mean you lost your other insurance.

I want to reinforce some other issues. Many people tell you NOT to carry your Medicare card regularly. I instead suggest not putting your Medicare card in a spot in your wallet where it can be seen unless you pull it out because someone requested it. Many of us have spots in our wallets that can be seen over your shoulder or in line in the store. Your Medicare card should NOT be in a spot like that.

I also encourage you to review your Medicare Summary Notices (MSN’s) when they arrive in the mail. Be sure that all the procedures and providers listed are things that in fact you had done. That is the best way to reduce Medicare Fraud. In reviewing your MSN’s, if you see something suspicious, call 1-800-MEDICARE, right away.

Janell Sluga is a Geriatric Care Manager helping seniors in our community access services and insurance. To reach her, please email editorial@post-journal.com.