If you're on Medicare, the Social Security Administration has assigned you a health insurance claim number. This number appears on your Medicare card as well as your health insurance claims and other paperwork.
Function
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This primary function of the health insurance claim number is to identify you and your claims. It helps in the processing of Medicare claims.
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Identification
The health insurance claim number can be found on your Medicare card. The number is between seven and 11 digits long.
First Part
There are two parts to the number. One part, the claim account number, reflects the policy number of the person who has earned the Medicare benefits -- typically either yourself or your spouse.
Second Part
The other part, the beneficiary identification code, identifies your current relationship to the wage earner. This number is typically two digits--one letter and one number.
Considerations
Changes to a person's health insurance claim number occur when the enrollee's relationship to the wage earner changes. For example, the claim number would change after a shift from "spouse" to "widow."