Guide

How to Get a Replacement Medicare Card

How Do You Get a Replacement Medicare Card?

To get a replacement Medicare card, log into your secure account at Medicare.gov and print or order an official copy, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048) to have one mailed. If you get Railroad Retirement Board benefits, call the RRB at 1-877-772-5772 instead. You don't need to visit a Social Security office for a lost card; go to Social Security only if your name changed or you still need to sign up for Medicare.

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Replacement Medicare Card: Online, by Phone or at an Office

A lost, stolen or damaged Medicare card is replaced by Medicare, not by a Social Security office. Social Security’s own help page points you to Medicare.gov for this task. You have two fast ways to do it and one special case.

How Who it suits What you get Contact
Medicare.gov account Anyone with internet access An official card you can print right away, or a card ordered by mail Log in or create an account at Medicare.gov
Phone, 1-800-MEDICARE People who prefer to talk to someone A replacement card mailed to you 1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048
Railroad Retirement Board People who get RRB benefits A replacement RRB Medicare card 1-877-772-5772; TTY 1-312-751-4701
Social Security office Name changes and first-time Medicare sign-up An updated record, after which Medicare issues the card Find your office

If all you need is a new card, skip the office trip. Printing takes minutes, and the printed copy is official.

How to Print or Order a Replacement Medicare Card Online

Your secure Medicare account is the quickest route. Medicare.gov says you can log into, or create, your account to print or order an official copy of your card, and you can print it any time.

  1. Go to Medicare.gov and sign in. If you don’t have an account yet, create one.
  2. Choose the option to print or order an official copy of your Medicare card.
  3. Print the card at home, or order a copy by mail if you’d rather have one sent.
  4. Keep the printout somewhere safe. You can print another whenever you need it.

This is also the answer if your first card never showed up. Medicare mails your card in your welcome packet after you sign up, and the same account lets you print your official card while you wait.

A printed copy shows the same details as the mailed card: your Medicare Number, whether you have Part A (listed as HOSPITAL), Part B (listed as MEDICAL) or both, and the date your coverage begins.

Ordering by Phone: The Medicare 800 Number

If you’d rather not use a computer, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048. Ask for a replacement card to be sent in the mail.

The card is mailed, so make sure Medicare has your current mailing address. Because the card shows the name on your Social Security record, fix any name problem with Social Security before you order.

Phone numbers for Medicare Advantage and drug plans, such as the number on the back of a private plan card, belong to the plan, not to Medicare. If you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan, you use the plan’s card for care, so a lost plan card is a call to the plan. Your Medicare card itself comes from Medicare, or from the RRB for railroad beneficiaries.

Social Security’s main line handles Social Security tasks, not lost Medicare cards. The Social Security phone number guide lists which number fits which job.

If You Get Railroad Retirement Board Benefits

Railroad retirees and their families have a Medicare card with RRB on it. Medicare.gov says to call the Railroad Retirement Board at 1-877-772-5772 for a replacement. TTY users can call 1-312-751-4701.

Calling 1-800-MEDICARE or visiting a Social Security office won’t produce an RRB card, so start with the RRB line.

When Social Security Is the Right Place to Go

Two Medicare tasks do run through Social Security.

Your name changed. Your Medicare card shows the name you have on file with Social Security. If you married, divorced or legally changed your name, update your Social Security record first. Once Social Security has the new name, order a fresh card from Medicare. The name change guide lists the documents Social Security asks for, and the replacement Social Security card guide covers getting a new Social Security card at the same time.

You haven’t signed up for Medicare yet. Social Security says you sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B through Social Security. That lets you make your retirement and Medicare choices together and have premiums withheld from your benefit payments, which is how Part B premiums usually come out of a Social Security check. If you’re 65 or older, you can enroll online for Parts A and B, or Part A only. You can also call 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and say you want to sign up.

One point trips people up: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) does not qualify you for Medicare on its own, according to Social Security. You still have to meet one of the other requirements, such as age 65, disability benefits or permanent kidney failure.

A my Social Security account lets you handle many of these tasks without a visit.

Protect Your Medicare Number and Report Fraud

Your Medicare Number is unique to you and is not your Social Security number. Treat it like a credit card number.

  • Give it only to your doctors and other health care providers, your insurers or plans and their licensed agents, or people you trust who work with Medicare, such as your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).
  • Medicare says it will never call you uninvited and ask for personal or private information.
  • If a caller asks for your information or for money, or threatens to cancel your health benefits, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE yourself.
  • Check each Medicare statement against your own calendar so you spot services you never got.

Medicare fraud reporting: call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or use the online fraud report on Medicare.gov. For problems with a Medicare Advantage or drug plan, Medicare.gov lists the Investigations Medicare Drug Integrity Contractor (I-MEDIC) at 1-877-7SAFERX (1-877-772-3379).

Scammers who pretend to be from Medicare or Social Security follow the same script. Social Security’s scam page lists the signs: they pretend to be from an agency you know, claim there’s a problem or a prize, pressure you to act right away, and tell you to pay in a specific way, such as gift cards, prepaid debit cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or cash. A real replacement card never requires any of that. Report Social Security-related scams to the Office of the Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov/report.

If you think someone else is using your Medicare Number, call 1-800-MEDICARE. If you suspect identity theft, Medicare.gov says to contact the Federal Trade Commission.

Carrying Your Card After It Arrives

How you use the card depends on your coverage.

  • Original Medicare: carry your Medicare card when you’re away from home and show it to your doctor, hospital or other provider when you get care. If you also have a drug plan or supplemental coverage, carry that card too.
  • Medicare Advantage or another Medicare health plan: use your plan’s card to get services. Keep the Medicare card in a safe place in case you switch plans or go back to Original Medicare.

You also need the information on the card to join a Medicare health or drug plan or to buy Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap), so don’t throw away an old card until the new one is in hand.

Do You Need to Visit a Social Security Office?

For a lost or damaged Medicare card, no. Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE handle it from home.

Plan a visit only for the Social Security side of Medicare, such as a name change that needs original documents. Use the office finder to get the address and hours for your nearest location. Of the 1,231 offices listed, 1,194 keep standard hours of Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Busy cities have several offices, so check the right one:

Before you go, read what to bring to a Social Security office and check office hours and appointments, because many tasks move faster with an appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Social Security Replace My Medicare Card?

Social Security's own help page sends you to Medicare.gov: request the replacement online there, print an official copy from your Medicare account, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to have a card mailed.

Is a Printed Copy of My Medicare Card Official?

Yes. Medicare.gov says you can log into your secure Medicare account to print your official Medicare card, and you can print it any time.

Is My Medicare Number the Same as My Social Security Number?

No. Your card carries a Medicare Number that is unique to you and is not your Social Security number, which helps protect your identity.

Do I Need My Medicare Card if I Have a Medicare Advantage Plan?

You use your plan's card to get services, not your Medicare card. Medicare.gov says to keep the Medicare card somewhere safe in case you switch plans or return to Original Medicare.

Why Does My Medicare Card Show My Old Name?

Your Medicare card shows the name you have on file with Social Security. Change your name with Social Security first; see the name change guide for the documents.

What Should I Do if Someone Calls Asking for My Medicare Number?

Hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE yourself. Medicare says it will never call you uninvited and ask for personal or private information, and that anyone asking for money or threatening to cancel your benefits is a reason to hang up.

Keep Reading

Sources

  1. Medicare.gov: Your Medicare card
  2. SSA FAQ: How do I get a replacement Medicare card?
  3. SSA: Sign up for Medicare
  4. Medicare.gov: Reporting Medicare fraud and abuse
  5. SSA: Protect yourself from Social Security scams

Independent site, not affiliated with the Social Security Administration. Office addresses, phone numbers and hours come from SSA's public office data. To apply for benefits or manage your record, go to SSA directly at ssa.gov.