Q. My brother got sent a new Medicare card with a new number, but no one else I know has gotten this. Could this be a scam?
A. It is good to have a healthy skepticism when it comes to Medicare and Social Security numbers, cards, and protecting your personal information. However, in this particular case, it is likely an official Medicare action. Last fall, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) notified many Medicare enrollees that they might have been impacted by a data breach at a CMS contractor, Maximus Federal Services, Inc. CMS mailed a letter to all potentially affected Medicare enrollees to notify them of the data breach and what steps CMS is taking to protect them, particularly that new numbers would be assigned and new cards mailed.
Instructions in the letter were for individuals to begin using the new Medicare number on December 29th, to update their Medicare information with all their health care providers, and destroy their old card. Medicare Plans will receive the related enrollment codes alerting them about the Medicare number changes and will be processing the changes internally.
It should be noted that this breach does not affect all Medicare enrollees—most are not affected. Nor does it mean that those enrollees who are affected will necessarily experience any harm. Affected enrollees should, however, monitor their bank accounts and other financial accounts, credit cards, and credit records, and report any suspicious activity to the relevant financial institution or credit agency immediately.
Individuals with questions about their new Medicare card and number can call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.
For Your Information: New Medicare Prescription Cost Protections Implemented
Two new Medicare prescription drug provisions of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act took effect Jan. 1, 2024, according to a recent article from the National Center on Law and Elder Rights (NCLER). These new benefits help protect people with Medicare who have fixed incomes and chronic health conditions from high drug costs.
First, Medicare Part D’s Low-Income Subsidy Program (LIS), also called Extra Help, expanded to cover more drug costs for people with limited resources. Extra Help covers Part D premiums and cost-sharing for prescription drugs for people with limited resources and income below 150% of the federal poverty level ($21,870 in 2023.) The Inflation Reduction Act eliminated the partial LIS. Now everyone who qualifies for Extra Help is eligible for Part D plans with no premiums, no deductible, and lower fixed co-pays.
Second, Medicare enrollees with high prescription drug costs will no longer be required to pay out-of-pocket costs once they reach the Part D catastrophic phase. The IRA eliminated cost-sharing in the final coverage phase, effectively capping out-of-pocket costs at the Part D catastrophic threshold (sometimes called the Donut Hole.) In 2025, the annual out of pocket cap will drop to $2,000.
More information about the Inflation Reduction Act and its impact on Medicare drug costs can be found at NCLER’s website, www.ncler.acl.gov or at U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ website, www.cms.gov/inflation-reduction-act-and-medicare.
If you would like to find out if you are eligible for assistance with the cost of prescription drugs, contact our Info Line for Aging and Disability at 1-800-654-2810.
Sara Duris is community information liaison of Region IV Area Agency on Aging in Southwest Michigan. Questions on age or independence services? Call the Info-Line for Aging & Disability at 800-654-2810 or visit areaagencyonaging.org. The Generations column appears each weekend in The Herald-Palladium.