The fast fixes
Log into your account at medicare.gov and print an official replacement card the same day, or order a mailed copy that arrives in about 30 days. Prefer the phone? 1-800-MEDICARE handles it. Your local Social Security office can too.
If you need care before the new card arrives, the printed copy from your online account works everywhere the plastic one does.
Advantage and Part D cards are different
If your coverage runs through a private plan, the card you use at the doctor or pharmacy comes from the insurer, not Medicare. Call the number on your plan documents or use the insurer’s member portal, and a replacement is usually days away.
The scam that follows lost cards
Nobody from Medicare calls you about a new card, a chipped card, or a card fee. Ever. Anyone who does is hunting your number. Hang up, and if you gave information away, call 1-800-MEDICARE and report it.
Treat your Medicare number like a credit card number: share it with your doctors, your pharmacist, your trusted agent, and no one who called you first.