Should You Really Laminate Your Medicare Card?

Have you already received your new Medicare card in the mail? “Spare no expense” is not the phrase that comes to mind the first time many seniors see their new Medicare cards. Many people wonder if they should get their Medicare cards laminated so it won’t fall apart.

Laminating your Medicare card seems like a good idea, but there is a very strong reason to leave it in its flimsy state: The Social Security Administration says that laminating your Medicare card invalidates many of its security features. And you don’t want someone you don’t know using your Medicare account.

Just from looking at the card, it is not obvious what security features the Social Security Administration is talking about. There is no fancy hologram that appears when you hold your card under a black light. There is no magnetic stripe to swipe on the back of the card. It is not embedded with a microchip that will help your loved ones find you if you get lost.

Your Medicare card is just a flimsy piece of paper. Or at least that is what it appears to be. That doesn’t mean you have to let it fall apart.

The best thing to do is to put your card in your wallet behind a plastic window. That way you can just show your card every time you go to the doctor without taking it out of your wallet.
Or you can place your Medicare card in a plastic sleeve you can buy at any store that sells office supplies.

Just be sure if you have been on Medicare for a while that you have the new cards that display your Medicare enrollment number, not your Social Security number. Your Medicare card now has to have a personal ID number made up of a random string of letters and numbers.

Medicare cards are flimsy, so there is a good chance that sooner or later you will need a replacement Medicare card. They are easy to get. Just visit your local Social Security office, or if you have an online account at MyMedicare.gov, you can order a replacement card there.