According to some news sources, roughly 1.3 million Medicare beneficiaries began receiving new Medicare cards in March, 2026. Recently, beneficiaries have contacted CMA and other advocates due to receiving new cards. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) did not issue a detailed explanation for this wave of new Medicare numbers and cards, but it is likely linked to previous security breaches and fraudulent activity.
As always, there is the potential for increased scams whenever new cards are issued. Therefore, the same advice holds true:
- Medicare will never contact beneficiaries by phone to issue a new card
- Medicare cards are free
- Medicare cards are NOT plastic – they are paper
- Medicare cards do not require “activation” like credit or debit cards
- Always call 1-800-MEDICARE to confirm when a new card or number has been issued to you
June 11, 2026 – C. Huberty