New Medicare Cards Are Coming Dear Marci, I’ve heard that there are going to be new Medicare cards. How do I get mine and what should I do with it? Anita (Fairbanks, AK) Dear Anita, New Medicare cards will soon be on their way. If you are already enrolled in Medicare, you will receive your new card sometime between April 2018 and April 2019, based on where you live. As long as your address with Social Security is up-todate, there is nothing you have to do to receive your new Medicare card. If your mailing address is not up-to-date, call 800-7721213, visit www.myssa.gov, or go to a local Social Security office to update it. You do not have to pay anything for your new card. Medicare beneficiaries are getting a new card because the old Medicare cards contain a Medicare number typically based on their Social Security number (SSN). Recent legislation requires the removal of the Social Security number from Medicare cards. This is intended to address the risk of identity theft that might result from Medicare cards containing
people’s Social Security numbers. Beginning this year, the Medicare number based on your Social Security number is being replaced with a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI). The new number is made up of 11 uppercase letters and numbers. The MBI is unique, randomly generated, and the characters will be nonintelligent, which means they do not have any hidden or special meaning. The new Medicare numbers and cards will not change Medicare benefits at all. Once you get your new card, you should keep it safe, as you would with credit cards and other insurance cards. You should bring your new card with you when you visit your health care providers. As soon as you have your new card, your providers will be able to use it to bill Medicare on your behalf. There will be a transition period, from April 2018 to December 2019, during which providers will be able to bill Medicare using either the old or new Medicare numbers and cards. Starting in January 2020, though, providers
will only be able to use the new Medicare number for most claims. To prevent any delay in receiving services or having them paid for, you should bring your Medicare card to your provider right away. Once you have your new card, you should safely and securely destroy your old card. There are some concerns about scams that take advantage of people who are confused about the transition to new Medicare cards. Here are some important things to keep in mind: Social Security and Medicare already have your personal identifying information. This means that unless you ask them to, they will never call, email, or visit you. They will not ask for your Medicare number or other personal information to send you a new card. There is no charge for your new card, so no one should contact you requesting payment. You should continue to check your Medicare
Summary Notice (MSN) or Explanation of Benefits (EOB) and billing statements regularly and carefully, and to look out for any suspicious charges. Use a calendar to track your doctors’ appointments and services to be able to quickly spot fraud or billing mistakes. If anyone contacts you requesting personal information or payment related to the new card, you should call 1-800MEDICARE to report the activity. You can also contact your local Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP). To contact your SMP, call 877-808-2468 or visit www.smpresource.org. If, in reviewing your MSN, EOB, or billing statement, you find a suspicious charge, contact your provider’s office to check if there has been a billing error. If you are unable to solve the issue through speaking with your provider’s office, you should contact your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for assistance. To contact your SHIP, visit www.shiptacenter.org or call 877-839-2675. -Marci
Report: Alzheimer’s Disease Will Cost U.S. $277B in 2018 For the second consecutive year, total payments to care for people living with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia are predicted to exceed a quarter of a trillion dollars, according to the Alzheimer's Association's 2018 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report released Tuesday. The projected $277 billion total is an increase of almost $20 billion from last year. By 2050, costs are expected to surpass $1 trillion. The number of Americans living with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia is increasing every year.
According to the report, an estimated 5.7 million Americans currently have Alzheimer's, and someone develops the disease every 65 seconds. By 2050, an estimated 14 million people will be diagnosed. These rapidly increasing numbers make the disease, which has no cure, one of the most expensive in the country. However, the report hypothesizes that early identification of the disease during the mild cognitive impairment stage could save the nation as much as $7.9 trillion over the lifetimes of those living with it.
"Soaring prevalence, rising mortality rates and lack of an effective treatment all lead to enormous costs to society. Alzheimer's is a burden that's only going to get worse," said Keith Fargo, director of scientific programs and outreach for the Alzheimer's Association. "We must continue to attack Alzheimer's through a multidimensional approach that advances research while also improving support for people with the disease and their caregivers." Early diagnosis can also benefit patients' caregivers and family members. In 2017, 16.1
million Americans provided unpaid care for people with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia, according to the report. These caregivers provided an estimated 18.4 billion hours of care valued at more than $232 billion. Additionally, the stress associated with providing care to these patients resulted in an estimated $11.4 billion in added healthcare costs for their caregivers….Read More
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