In April, President Obama signed a bill that will end the use of Social Security numbers on Medicare cards. Currently, more than 4,500 people sign up for Medicare each day. Nearly 18 million people will qualify for Medicare within the next decade. This will bring Medicare enrollment up to 74 million people by 2025.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will begin issuing cards with new identifiers over the next four years. They will have an additional four years to reissue cards to current beneficiaries. The Medicare numbers that will be replacing the Social Security number currently listed on cards will be randomly generated.
It is thought that this change will help to protect Americans on Medicare. It will prevent them from having their Social Security number exposed; however, there will still be a possibility for scams to occur. It is important to always protect yourself against scams. Medicare will never call you or visit you at home.