An agent in West Hills, CA asked…
Q: What do the letters at the end of a person’s Medicare number mean?
A: Every beneficiary is given a Medicare number. This number is their Social Security number followed by a code, which is often referred to as a claim number. The letter codes may appear on correspondence receive from Social Security or on a beneficiaries Medicare card.
Here is a table showing the most commonly used beneficiary codes, taken from the federal government’s Social Security website. (This does not include every code; only the most common ones.)
Code |
Identification |
A |
Primary claimant (wage earner) |
B1 |
Aged husband, age 62 or over |
B2 |
Young wife, with a child in her care |
B3 |
Aged wife, age 62 or over, second claimant |
B5 |
Young wife, with a child in her care, second claimant |
B6 |
Divorced wife, age 62 or over |
BY |
Young husband, with a child in his care |
C1-C9 |
Child – includes minor, student, or disabled child |
D |
Aged widow age 60 or over |
D1 |
Aged widower, age 60 or over |
D2 |
Aged widow (2nd claimant) |
D3 |
Aged widower (2nd claimant) |
D6 |
Surviving divorced wife, age 60 or over |
E |
Widowed mother |
E1 |
Surviving divorced mother |
E4 |
Widowed father |
E5 |
Surviving divorced father |
F1 |
Parent (father) |
F2 |
Parent (mother) |
F3 |
Stepfather |
F4 |
Stepmother |
F5 |
Adopting father |
F6 |
Adopting mother |
HA |
Disabled claimant (wage earner) |
HB |
Aged wife of disabled claimant, age 62 or over |
HC |
Child of disabled claimant |
M |
Uninsured – Premium health insurance benefits (Part A) |
M1 |
Uninsured – Qualified for but refused health insurance benefits (Part A) |
T |
Uninsured – Entitled to HIB (Part A) under deemed or renal provisions; or fully insured who have elected entitlement only to HIB |
TA |
Medicare Qualified Government Employment (MQGE) |
TB |
MQGE aged spouse |
W |
Disabled widow |
W1 |
Disabled widower |
W6 |
Disabled surviving divorced wife |
WA |
Railroad retirement |
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