Changes planned for Medicare cards

Local residents with Medicare will soon be getting new cards that will no longer display their social security numbers.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced it is preparing to issue new Medicare cards that will use new unique numbers instead of social security numbers in an effort to reduce identity theft.

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CMS said it would begin mailing new cards to beneficiaries in April.

"We're taking this step to protect our seniors from fraudulent use of Social Security numbers, which can lead to identity theft and illegal use of Medicare benefits," CMS Administrator Seema Verma stated. "We want to be sure that Medicare beneficiaries and healthcare providers know about these changes well in advance and have the information they need to make a seamless transition."

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