How to Find Your Medicare Number (and Print Your Medicare Card)
Reviewed October 15, 2026. To find your Medicare number, look at your red, white and blue Medicare card, log in to your Medicare.gov account, check the benefit verification letter in your my Social Security account, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048). Your Medicare number is an 11-character code called the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI), and it is not your Social Security number. If you’ve lost your card, you can print an official copy from your Medicare.gov account right away.
Quick answer: No card? Use Medicare.gov (log in with ID.me, CLEAR or Login.gov), your my Social Security benefit verification letter, or a recent Medicare Summary Notice. Need a card? Print one from Medicare.gov or order a replacement by phone or through Social Security. During Open Enrollment (October 15 to December 7, 2026), keep your number handy: you’ll need it to enroll in a 2027 plan.
What your Medicare number is
Your Medicare number is the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier, or MBI. CMS describes it this way:
- 11 characters of numbers and uppercase letters, with no dashes or special characters. CMS’s sample is 1EG4-TE5-MK73 (dashes shown only for readability).
- Randomly generated, with no hidden meaning. The letters S, L, O, I, B and Z are never used, so you won’t confuse them with numbers.
- Not your Social Security number. MBIs replaced the old SSN-based Health Insurance Claim Numbers, and the transition ended December 31, 2019.
Source: CMS: Understanding the MBI format.
People search for this number under many names. A Medicare claim number is the old term; Medicare policy number, member number and Medicare ID number are informal names for the same MBI. There is no separate Part A or Part B number: one MBI covers both.
Where it appears on your card
On the red, white and blue Medicare card, the MBI is printed under your name on the line labeled Medicare Number. Below it are your Part A (“HOSPITAL”) and Part B (“MEDICAL”) coverage start dates.
If you’re in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, you also have a separate card from that plan with its own member ID. Medicare.gov says to use the plan card to get services, but keep your Medicare card in a safe place in case you switch back to Original Medicare. Not sure which plan you have? See how to check if you have Medicare and which plan.
How to find your Medicare number without your card
Option 1: Your Medicare.gov account
- Go to Medicare.gov and select Log in.
- Sign in with ID.me, CLEAR or Login.gov. Medicare.gov now uses these services; once you connect one, your old Medicare username and password stop working.
- Your Medicare number is shown in your account, where you can also print your card.
Creating a Medicare.gov account for the first time requires your Medicare number, so this route only helps if you already have an account. Verifying online needs a REAL ID, state photo ID or U.S. passport, your Social Security number and a photo or video of yourself; ID.me and Login.gov also offer in-person checks. (Medicare.gov: Login help)
Option 2: Social Security (my Social Security)
Social Security says you can find your Medicare number on your benefit verification letter in your my Social Security account. (SSA: Manage your Medicare)
- Sign in to, or create, your my Social Security account at ssa.gov/myaccount.
- Choose to get a benefit verification letter.
- Find your Medicare number in the Medicare section of the letter.
You can’t create an account for someone else, even with permission, so a parent or spouse needs to be there with you. Our my Social Security account guide walks through sign-up.
Option 3: A Medicare Summary Notice
If you had Original Medicare claims in recent months, your Medicare Summary Notice, the statement Medicare mails listing processed claims, shows your Medicare number.
Option 4: Call 1-800-MEDICARE
Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048. Expect identity questions before a representative will help.
For doctors and providers
A provider can look up a patient’s MBI in its Medicare Administrative Contractor’s secure portal using the patient’s name, date of birth and Social Security number. MBIs also appear on remittance advice. (CMS: Getting MBIs)
How to print your Medicare card
Yes, you can print your Medicare card online. Medicare.gov says you can log in to your Medicare account to print an official copy of your card or order a replacement. (Medicare.gov: Your Medicare card)
- Log in to Medicare.gov with ID.me, CLEAR or Login.gov.
- Open your Medicare card in your account.
- Print the official copy, or choose to have a replacement mailed. Check that your mailing address is correct first.
The printed copy is an official version you can show at a doctor’s office while you wait for a mailed card. You don’t renew the card each year; you only need a new one if it’s lost, stolen or damaged, your name changes, or Medicare issues you a new number.
How to get a replacement Medicare card
| Who | How to replace the card |
|---|---|
| Most people | Medicare.gov account, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048 |
| Social Security beneficiaries | my Social Security (Request a Replacement Medicare Card), or call SSA at 1-800-772-1213, TTY 1-800-325-0778, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday |
| Railroad Retirement Board beneficiaries | Call the RRB at 1-877-772-5772, TTY 1-312-751-4701 |
| Representative payees | Representative Payee Services in my Social Security; SSA says the card arrives by mail in about 30 days |
Your card shows the name Social Security has on file, so for a legal name change, contact Social Security first.
New to Medicare: when your first card arrives
If you’re enrolled in Medicare automatically because you already get Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits, your card is mailed in your welcome packet, typically about three months before your 65th birthday or your 25th month of disability benefits. If you signed up yourself, it comes after your enrollment is processed. If you’re still deciding how to sign up, see how to enroll in Medicare online.
Protecting your Medicare number
Medicare.gov says to treat your Medicare number like a credit card. Share it only with your doctors, insurers or plans (and their licensed agents), or people you trust, such as your State Health Insurance Assistance Program counselor. “Medicare will not call you uninvited to ask for personal or private information.” If a caller asks for your number or money, or threatens to cancel your benefits, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE. Calls like this increase during Open Enrollment, so be extra careful between October 15 and December 7.
Most people keep the same MBI for life, but Medicare can issue a new one if your number has been compromised. If that happens, give providers the new number right away, because claims with a retired MBI are rejected.
Frequently asked questions
Is my Medicare number the same as my Social Security number?
No. Medicare.gov says your Medicare number is unique to you and is not your Social Security number. SSN-based numbers were phased out by the end of 2019.
How do I find my Medicare number on ssa.gov?
Sign in to my Social Security, get a benefit verification letter, and look in its Medicare section.
Can I print my Medicare card at home?
Yes. Log in to your Medicare.gov account and print an official copy, or order a replacement by mail.
Do I have a separate number for Part A and Part B?
No. One MBI covers Original Medicare. A Medicare Advantage or Part D plan issues its own separate member ID.
Do I need my Medicare number to change plans for 2027?
Yes. Enrolling in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan during Open Enrollment, October 15 to December 7, 2026, asks for your Medicare number and Part A and Part B start dates, all of which are on your card.
Can I look up someone else’s Medicare number?
Not through these routes. You can’t create an SSA account for another person, and to handle someone’s Medicare matters you need to be authorized with Medicare.
This article is general information. Medicare365 is an independent website and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare, the Social Security Administration or any U.S. government agency.