Your Medicare Card

Q

QuickSilver

SF VIP
Location
Midwest
Ok.... so I've got my Medicare Part A card... The instructions say to keep this card with me at all times.. that means in my wallet. BUT... it clearly has my SS number right on the front. I don't keep my SS card in my wallet for that reason.. What if my wallet is stollen? Where to you all keep your cards?
 

So you are not worried about having your wallet stolen and your SS number taken?
 

This is a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. A Senior Must have their Medicare card with them if they need medical care, but having the SS number as an ID puts a person at risk if their card is lost/stolen. The Ideal solution would be to have a Medicare number that is Not associated with SS, but that would probably require an Act of Congress, and take years to implement. The Only good solution, at present, is to always be aware of your surroundings, and avoid any situations where you might be exposed to the thieves.
 
NO... I don't think I will carry my card. I believe that if I ever go into the hospital, my card is in my file cabinet and it's pretty easy to grab it before the ambulance gets there or before I leave for the hospital. . EVEN if I am taken to the hospital emergently and I am unconscious... my family can bring in my card at a later time. ALSO... hospitals have a way of going into a Government site and finding your Medicare eligablity.. So... My advise is to NOT carry your card with you.. You cannot be denied medical care if you don't have it with you.. and handing a card over to the hospital the very second you roll through the emergency room door is not necessary... It can be brought in later... like the next day. I really don't understand why they tell us to have it with us at all times.
 
Do you keep your credit cards with you? what's the difference? Here in Australia we carry our cards with us, how many times in your life time have you had your
wallet stolen. I'm sure there is a number ring, the same as if your credit card was stolen!
 
GDAD said:
Do you keep your credit cards with you? what's the difference? Here in Australia we carry our cards with us, how many times in your life time have you had your
wallet stolen. I'm sure there is a number ring, the same as if your credit card was stolen!
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I can make a phone call and stop all activity on my credit cards... My cards do not hold me responsible for unauthorized purchases.. I cannot prevent someone from using my SS number to establish a false identity... can I? Most times you do not even realize someone is using your identity to take out loans or whatever they need it for until it's too late.. and it costs you a fortune in legal fees to straighten it out. Credit cards are NOT the same as having your SS number stolen.

Here in Illinois they took our SS numbers off our drivers licenses for that reason... Why does it have to be on our Medicare cards?
 
I wasn't aware of that, since I haven't applied yet. AARP suggests not carrying the card, because you are already in the computer system if anything happens. I would lean toward not carrying it also. That's an invitation to identity theft if I ever saw one, and very unlike carrying a credit card that you can put a stop on. They say the costs would be outrageous to change the card system, but I have trouble believing that, as other ID cards have been changed to protect the security of the citizen. Can't believe how they screw these things up. :rolleyes:
 
QuickSilver said:
It's not a matter of getting another card.. It's a matter of your number being used by someone else for illegal purposes leaving you holding the bag for loans and who know what.
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I understand that. if your wallet is stolen report it. to SS as well as credit card co's. once reported the stolen cards cannot be used. their cancelled and new cards issued
 
Sounds like a whole lot of trouble to go through when just not carrying your SS card or you Medicare card would solve the problem.
 
Yeah, I wouldn't carry either. No way I'd want to go through all this:

In the event your Social Security card is stolen the first thing you should do is compose yourself and not panic. There are steps you will need to follow in order to have your Social Security number replaced and it will be important for you to follow these steps to make sure the process of replacing it goes smoothly.

The first step you will need to take is to complete a Form SS-5 which you can download from the SSA site. Your Social Security number will be the same, however to have it replaced you will need to provide proof of your identity which can be one or more of the following:

• Driver’s license
• Employee ID card
• Marriage license or divorce decree
• Military records
• Adoption records
• Passport
• School ID Card
• Health insurance card (Medicare card not acceptable)

If you happen to notice fraudulent activities after your Social Security number has been stolen, such as a credit card or utility accounts being opened without your consent, you should immediately take the following actions (if you’re a member of ProtectMyID.com, a Fraud Resolution Agent can help you with these steps).

1. File an identity theft report with the local police department and/or the police department where the identity theft took place. Keep a copy of the police report as proof of the crime.

2. Notify the Federal Trade Commission to file a complaint and to request a copy of the FTC Fraud Affidavit forms 1-877-ID-THEFT or 1-877-438-4338).

3. File a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center athttp://www.ic3.gov/ if fraudulent accounts were established online.

4. Contact the fraud units of the three major credit reporting bureaus to place an initial fraud alert (if you have an identity theft report you can place it for 7 years):
Equifax (800-525-6285)
Trans Union: (800-680-7289)
Experian: (888-397-3742)​
5. Call each company to report any fraudulent accounts that have been opened fraudulently with your Social Security number and initiate a fraud investigation.


 
QuickSilver said:
So what is so hard about taking your card out of the file cabinet to present when you go to the doc... THEN putting it back when you get home?
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be my luck i run off and forget it. and if you lose it go to or coming back from the office??
 
kcvet said:
be my luck i run off and forget it. and if you lose it go to or coming back from the office??
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Why do you have to present your card every time you go to the same doc? I have gone to the same doc for years. His receptionist takes my insurance info and a pic of my insurance card and I never have to show it to her again... Until something changes..
 
QuickSilver said:
Why do you have to present your card every time you go to the same doc? I have gone to the same doc for years. His receptionist takes my insurance info and a pic of my insurance card and I never have to show it to her again... Until something changes..
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most doc offices update their files from time to time. mine does. so they want it all again.
 
kcvet said:
most doc offices update their files from time to time. mine does. so they want it all again.
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Well.... do as you think best. For me? MY SS card and my Medicare card will stay safely at home until I need to bring them somewhere.. Not worth the risk as far as I can see.
 
kcvet said:
ok. hope mr thief doesn't break in. :)
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My SS card is kept with other important documents in a secure safe in my home, so I don't worry about a thief breaking in. I wonder if just covering the SS# on the card with something, and making a color copy of the card would be of any help to carry in the wallet. Then if they needed to get your SS# for medical treatment, they could just ask you?
 

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