Your Medicare Number: What Do Those Letters Mean?
By Elie Harriett
February 4, 2016
One of the things that perplex our clients most are the letters on a client’s Medicare card. The majority of people’s Medicare numbers are their Social Security numbers with a letter after it, although some have a spouses, or a divorced or deceased spouse on it.
The number and letter combination that defines a Medicare number is generally based on how and with whose work history a person is drawing a social security benefit check from. Usually, having a spouse’s, or former spouse’s social security number means you are drawing a benefit check off their work history. Let’s take a look at six of the more common number and letter combinations.
- Your Social Security Number and A: You are receiving a social security benefit off your own work history.
- Your Spouse’s Social Security Number and B: You are receiving a social security benefit off your spouse’s work history.
- Your Social Security Number and T: You have enrolled in Medicare but are not yet receiving social security retirement benefits. This number usually changes once you begin drawing a social security benefit.
- Your Spouse’s Social Security Number and D: You are receiving your benefit off a deceased spouse’s work history and he died after age 60.
- Your Spouse’s Social Security Number and W: You are receiving your benefit off a deceased spouse’s work history and he died before age 60.
- Your Ex-Spouse’s Social Security Number and B6: You are receiving your benefit off a divorced spouse’s work history.
It is important to note that your ability to draw off a spouse’s work history, be it living, deceased, or divorced, has no impact on their benefits.
While this is not a comprehensive list, these are the most common number letter combinations and their significance. It should be noted these have no bearing on your medical benefits. A Medicare claim number is a Medicare claim number and you will still be able to access your health benefits regardless of whose number and letter is on the card. But if you need more specific information relating to your personal Medicare number and what it means to you, we encourage you to contact your local Social Security office.
And for help with Medicare and choosing the right insurance benefits for you, we encourage you to seek out a knowledgeable insurance advisor. If you live in Ohio, West Virginia, or Kentucky, we encourage you to contact us for help with every aspect of your insurance needs.
Keywords: medicare, social security
