State officials say Iowa seniors need to wait for the card in the mail. That’s because new Medicare cards are being mailed out with new identication numbers that are unique to each person.
The old cards have identification numbers that were based on Social Security numbers. That left open the possibility of identity theft if a Medicare card fell into the wrong hands. State officials are warning elderly Iowans that scammers may try to trick people into paying a fee for the card switch. The new Medicare cards are being issued at no expense to Medicare recipients.
The state’s insurance division is urging elderly Iowans to say “no thank you” and hang up on anyone who telephones with a pitch about the new Medicare cards.