How can I replace a lost Medicare card?

The easiest way to replace your Medicare card is to go online to the page of the Social Security Administration web site specially designed to let you get a new card. Once you fill out the information -- including the month in which Medicare most recently paid a bill for you -- requested online, it takes about 30 days for them to mail you a new card. If you need proof that you have Medicare sooner than that, you can request that they send you a letter confirming your Medicare enrollment. That letter takes about 10 days to get to you.

If you need a replacement card right away in order to get medical care or fill a prescription -- or if you are not comfortable requesting the card online -- you can go to your local Social Security office. To find the office closest to you, and to make an appointment, call the Social Security Administration's toll-free phone number 1-800-772-1213.