The short answer
A common phone scam involves callers claiming you need a new Medicare card — perhaps a plastic, chip, or updated card — and asking you to verify or provide your Medicare number and personal details to receive it. This is a scheme to steal your Medicare number and identity. Medicare does not call you unsolicited to issue a new card or to ask for your number, so any such call is a red flag. The defense is simple: do not share your Medicare number with unsolicited callers, and hang up.
So new Medicare card phone scams try to steal your number by claiming you need a replacement card; Medicare does not call to ask for it.
How the scam works
The caller may claim to be from Medicare and say you are owed a new card, that your card is expiring, or that you must verify your number to keep your benefits, then pressure you to read your Medicare number aloud or confirm personal information. With that number, scammers can commit medical identity theft and fraudulent billing. Legitimate Medicare cards are issued by mail without you needing to call and provide your number. Our guide to how to report Medicare fraud covers what to do.
The scheme relies on a false urgency about your card to get you to hand over your Medicare number.
How to shut it down
Never give your Medicare number or personal information to someone who calls you unsolicited, and hang up on anyone pressuring you about a new card. If you have a real question about your card, contact Medicare directly using the number on your card. Guard your Medicare card like a credit card and review your statements for fraud. Report the scam. Our scam awareness center covers these tactics. This is educational information.
The takeaway: Medicare does not call to issue a new card or ask for your number, so hang up on new-card calls, never share your number, and report the scam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Medicare call to send a new card?
No. Medicare does not call you unsolicited to issue a new card or ask for your Medicare number. Cards are issued by mail, so any such call is a scam red flag.
How does the new Medicare card scam work?
A caller claims you need a new card or must verify your number to keep benefits, then pressures you to provide your Medicare number and personal details, which scammers use for identity theft and fraud.
What should I do if I get a new-card call?
Do not share your Medicare number, hang up, and if you have a real question contact Medicare using the number on your card. Report the scam and review your statements for fraud.
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