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FAQ: Medicare Beneficiary Numbers

By staff Writer

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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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