Should You Laminate Your Medicare Card

If you decided to laminate your card and it s no longer usable or it was damaged or even stolen fortunately you can easily get medicare replacement cards.

Should you laminate your medicare card. Tty users should call 1 877 486 2048 cheevers who is based in san francisco said in an email to kokua line. Your medicare advantage plan id card is your main card for medicare so keep and use it whenever you need care. If your medicare card gets lost or damaged you can contact the social security administration to replace it by going to the agency s website. One of the most common questions we receive is can you laminate your medicare card it s a great question because many people think of their card the same way as they think of their social security card and just like certain things require a social security card you ll need your medicare card to receive services.

Your medicare card shows that you have medicare health insurance. You can laminate your medicare card. If you must protect your medicare card make sure first of all that you got a new one in the mail when they changed over from an old system that used social security numbers instead. An additional card will be sent for prescription drug coverage if it is included in your medicare advantage policy.

Give your new medicare number to only those providers you trust doctors pharmacists insurers and those who work with medicare on your behalf. There is no ruling against doing so. The social security administration advises against laminating your social security card because of security features built into the card. When you re enrolled in medicare you ll get your red white and blue medicare card in the mail.

You may also be asked to show your new medicare card so you should carry it with you. This is because if you try to sign the card after lamination your signature will be difficult or impossible to decipher and a medical provider might refuse to accept it. Or call the agency at 1 800 772 1213 tty users call 1 800 325 0778 monday through friday from 7am to 7pm. If you re automatically enrolled you ll get your red white and blue medicare card in the mail 3 months before your 65th birthday or your 25th month of getting disability benefits.

Those who decide to laminate the card anyway should go ahead and sign the card beforehand. But the medicare card does not have these features so your medicare card can be laminated. Your first option would be to contact the united states social security administration at 1 800 772 1213. If you must laminate your medicare card just put it in a plastic sleeve but do not heat it up.

If poor lamination has made your card difficult to read you can print another copy of your new medicare card using your mymedicare gov account or call 1 800 medicare 1 800 633 4227. If you choose to get a medicare advantage plan whether is it an hmo or a ppo you will be sent a card from your provider. Can you laminate your medicare card. You can buy a plastic id card holder at a stationery store to protect your card.