New Medicare Card Mailing Update: Wave 5 Starts, Wave 3 Ends

Medicare started mailing new Medicare cards to people with Medicare who live in Wave 5 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.  Medicare continues to mail new cards to people who live in Wave 4 states, as well as nationwide to people who are new to Medicare.

Medicare finished mailing cards to people with Medicare who live in Wave 1, 2 and 3 states and territories. If your Medicare patients say they did not get a card, instruct them to:

• Sign into MyMedicare.gov to see if we mailed their card.  If so, they can print an official card. They must create an account if they do not already have one.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).  There might be something that needs to be corrected, such as updating their mailing address.

You can also print out and give them a copy of “Still Waiting for Your New Card?” or you can order copies to hand out.

To ensure your Medicare patients continue to get care, you can use either the former Social Security number-based Health Insurance Claim Number or the new alpha-numeric Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) for all Medicare transactions through December 31, 2019.

Check this website as the mailings progress. Continue to direct your Medicare patients to Medicare.gov/NewCard for information about the mailings and to sign up to get email about the status of card mailings in their state.

Information on the transition to the new MBI:

• New MBI Get It, Use It MLN Matters® Article
• Transition to New Medicare Numbers and Cards MLN Fact Sheet
• New Medicare Card information website

About the Author

Reed Tinsley CPA

This article is written by Reed Tinsley, a Houston, TX-based CPA with over 30 years of experience advising physicians and medical practices across Texas and the United States. Reed holds certifications as a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Certified Healthcare Business Consultant (CHBC), and Certified Financial Planner (CFP), specializing exclusively in the healthcare sector. He is a published author, nationally recognized speaker, and trusted advisor to physicians on accounting & tax, practice management, and financial planning. Schedule a Free Consultation.