When To Use Your Original Medicare Card vs A Medicare Advantage Card

While original Medicare and Medicare Advantage are both forms of Medicare insurance, they are two different plans. 

These plans can differ in benefits, coverage, and the actual card you use. 

In this article, I will discuss the difference between an original Medicare card and a Medicare Advantage ID. 

What Is The Difference Between Original Medicare And Medicare Advantage?

Original Medicare consists of Parts A and B and is managed by Social Security. Medicare Advantage offers added benefits like dental, vision, and prescriptions and is managed by private insurance companies. 

Here is more about both Medicare options. 

Original Medicare consists of Medicare Part A and Part B Plans. With original Medicare, you can visit any doctor who accepts a Medicare assignment. This includes seeing primary care doctors and even specialists without needing a referral. The medical benefits (which providers you can see) of Original Medicare are managed by the federal government. This is in contrast to Medicare Advantage.  

Medicare Advantage (sometimes referred to as Medicare Part C) also consists of both Medicare Parts A and B, but benefits like dental, vision, and prescription benefits are also added. Medicare Advantage Plans are managed by private companies like Cigna, Humana, Wellcare, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. These plans often require that you see your primary care doctor to receive a referral to a specialist. 

How the Original Medicare Card Differs From the Medicare Advantage Card

The original Medicare card is a red, white, and blue card. Some people even refer to it as the “red, white, and blue” card. 

Below are pictures of the new Medicare card (on your left) and the old original Medicare card (on your right) 

The old card use to display your social security number, however, the Medicare Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2015 removed social security numbers from Medicare cards.  The new Medicare card has the same colors although it is smaller (same size as a credit card) and your social security number was removed. Instead they now list an 11-digit Medicare number. 

A Medicare Advantage Card will look similar to a regular insurance card. It will have the name and logo of the private company that manages your care. Below is a Medicare Advantage card for United Health Care. 

 

When to use your Original Medicare card vs Medicare Advantage card

We have already established that original Medicare and Medicare Advantage are two types of Medicare plans. The card you use is determined by which is your primary insurance. 

If you have original Medicare then anytime you visit your doctor, a specialist, or pay for durable medical equipment you’ll use the ‘red, white, and blue card”. This is because original Medicare is the primary payer. 

If you sign up for a Medicare Advantage Plan you won’t show your “red, white and blue” card first. Instead, you will show your Medicare Advantage card to your health care provider. This card will likely display the name of the private insurance company (Cigna, Wellcare, etc) that manages your Medicare Advantage Plan. That private company is the primary payer. 

On occasion Medicare patients who have an Advantage Plan will show their red, white, and blue card to their provider instead of the Advantage Plan card, and this sometimes leads to confusion. 

A good tip to remember is if a medical provider tells you that you do not have coverage for a service (and you know you have Medicare) it may be the result of you showing the wrong Medicare card. 

Conclusion

When it comes to the question of which Medicare card do you use original Medicare vs Medicare Advantage the answer is simple…

If you have original Medicare, this is your primary payer, so you want to show it (the red, white, blue card)  to your providers. 

If you signed up for a Medicare Advantage Plan, then you want to use your Medicare Advantage card. This card will likely have the logo of a private company like Cigna, Wellcare, or Blue Cross Blue Shield. 

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