Medicare ID numbers Suffixes and Prefixes
Most medicare identification numbers you will see end in A. This means that that person has medicare under their own social security number. However there are other ways a person can have medicare and those are reflected in the letter after the social security number on the medicare card. For example if the letter is B or D the social security number will be the husbands If the letter is C it is one of the parent’s numbers.
Here are the suffixes and their descriptions for regular Medicare:
SUFFIX / DESCRIPTION
A Retired worker over 65 or disabled worker
B Wife (over 65) of retired or disabled worker
B1 Husband of retired or disabled worker
B2 Wife whose entitlement is dependent on the care of a child
B3 Second wife
B4 Second husband
B5 Second wife (entitlement dependent on a child)
B6 Ex-wife (entitlement dependent on a child)
B7 Third wife (entitlement dependent on a child)
B8 Third wife
B9 Third husband
C Child (including a disabled child or a student). Suffixes assigned by age, i.e.:
C1 Youngest Child
C2 Next youngest child
C? Etc.
D Widow
D1 Widower
D2 Second Widow
D3 Second Widower
D4 Widow who remarried after age 60
D5 Widower who remarried after age 62
D6 Surviving ex-wife
D7 Second surviving ex-wife
E Widowed mother
E1 Mother (ex-wife) who survives the retired worker
E2 Second widowed mother
E3 Second mother (ex-wife) who survives the retired worker
F Parent category (the F suffix is never used alone) for aged dependents
F1 Father
F2 Mother
F3 Stepfather
F4 Stepmother
F5 Adoptive father
F6 Adoptive mother
F7 Second “alleged” father
F8 Second “alleged” mother
J & K Special beneficiaries whose entitlement depends on the quarters of employment that they have under social security.
J1, J2, K1, K2 Entitled to Part A.
J3, J4, K3, K4 Not entitled to Part A, may purchase Part A.
M An individual enrolled in Part B who is not entitled to retirement and survivor’s or Railroad Retirement insurance and is not eligible for Part A but may purchase Part A coverage.
M1 An individual enrolled in Part B who meets the requirements for Part A but has not applied.
T An individual entitled to Part A benefits but not to retirement and survivor’s or Railroad Retirement insurance or who is entitled to Medicare based on chronic renal disease. It applies whether or not the beneficiary elects to receive Part B.
W Disabled widow
W1 Disabled widower
W2 Second disabled widow
W3 Second disabled widower
W6 Disabled surviving ex-wife
W7 Second disabled surviving ex-wife
If the Letter or letters are in front of the social security number or railroad number, then that patient has Railroad medicare. See Railroad Medicare for more information.
Here are the Railroad Medicare prefixes and their description;
| Alpha Character | Description |
|---|---|
| A | Railroad retiree – file established when the employee was alive |
| MA | Spouse of the Railroad retiree |
| MH | Spouse of the retiree – employee on Railroad pension when Act passed in 1937 |
| H | Employee on Railroad pension when Act passed in 1937 |
| WA | Widow(er) of the retiree – file established when the employee was alive |
| WH | Widow(er) – employee on Railroad pension when Act passed in 1937 |
| WD | Widow(er) of the retiree – file established after the retiree deceased |
| WCA | Disabled child of the retiree – file established while the retiree was alive |
| WCD | Disabled child of the retiree – file established after the retiree deceased |
| WCH | Survivor of disabled child, of retiree – on Railroad pension when Act passed in 1937 |
| CA | Disabled child of the retiree – file established when the employee was alive |
| PA | Survivor parent – file established while employee was alive |
| PD | Survivor parent – file established after employee deceased |
| PH | Survivor parent - employee on Railroad pension when Act passed in 1937 |
OK BUT WHAT DOES TA AT THE END OF THE NUMBER MEAN??
Government employees who qualify for Medicare and are not receiving Social Security benefits will have a “TA” suffix.
Google is a beautiful thing.
Have you ever seen a prefix that started with a ‘ { ‘? This person has an 11 digit mc number, no suffix, with a bracket at the front. What does it mean? Is it an error?
I have a patient with the suffix DV- this code doesn’t seem to be listed. What does this suffix signify?
It means the person qualifies for medicare because they are the surviving third ex-wife.
What does DC after the number mean?
SURVIVING DIVORCED HUSBAND
I and my wife are over 65 and both worked enough to qualify for SS and medicare. My Medicare card has my ss# and a suffix “A”. My wife’s Medicare card also has my ss3 and a suffix “A”. Is this correct?
If your wife’s medicare card has your SS# then there should be a ‘B’ after it. If it has her SS# ,then there would be an ‘A’. Your SS# with an ‘A’ on her card does not sound correct. Things do change. She should call Medicare and double check it. Try 8006334227.
We have a patient who has given us two different possible numbers, but no prefix or suffix. If he doesn’t how, how can we find out??
If you are signed up for Medicare on Line-you can check for your patient’s eligibility. Most likely it should be an ‘A’, but he may not have medicare. Part A is for hospitals. Part B for physicians. See my blog of September 7, 2010
What does E prefix mean on medicare card?
E after the 9 digit medicare number means the person has medicare because they are a widowed mother.
Is WX a valid Medicare Prefix? If so, what does it mean?
I can not find anything on a WX prefix. The best thing to do is look at the medicare card. If it has a prefix it should say Railroad Medicare across the top.
What is the suffix if the child is receiving benefits from his/her mother which has a prefix of D?
The mother has a ‘D’ because she is a widow. The deceased husband social security number should be before the ‘D’. The child should have a ‘C’ with deceased father’s social security number. C1 for youngest child, C2 second youngest,etc.
please tell me if a disabled child can continue to draw medicare if they are married and both parents are dead
My understanding is that a disabled child may be eligible for medicare under their parents if the child is under 18 years old. A person over 18 and disabled can also qualify for Medicare. A disabled child would have the letter C after the number. Seehttp://www.cahealthadvocates.org/disabilities/overview.html or the CMS medicare site for more information
How is it that my Social Security number is shown on my new medicare card which I need to carry. Our SS #’s are not allowed on anything else. Why on this card? I feel very uncomfortable having the card in my wallet, even more so after the Social Security hacking fiasco in South Carolina. Please address this.
Can a person have an A after their Medicare number if they have never worked?
You can buy into medicare if you have never worked and meet certain requirements.
What does DC mean after a Medicare/Social Security number ?
That is a good question. D means the person has medicare as a widow. C means they have medicare as a dependent child. DC together is one I could not find. Let me know if you find the answer. Asking the person with the card may help.
I’ve got a PREFIX of E and then 10 digits. It’s verified accurate w/ Meicare but what type of benefit is this?
I have not heard or seen an E in the front of the number. Must be railroad medicare. Also 10 digits does not sound right. If you can verify that the medicare is valid-call the railroad medicare provider for your state and ask them.
I’m a divorced survivor, we were married for 20 years, but he remarried twice before his death, each marriage less then 3 years and he was married at the time of his passing. Would I be eligible for any of his medicare benefits?
Yes, since you were married for at least 10 years. You must be at least 62. If you remarry, you will lose the benefits of your former spouse, at least until that second marriage ends in divorce or death.
What does it mean when the alpha suffix, say A is not at the end of the numbers but before the last 3 or something like that? Thanks.