Starting in April 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will begin mailing new Medicare cards to those on Medicare. These cards will have a new Medicare Number—a number unique to each individual.

The new cards will help protect the identities of people with Medicare. The new card will not change your Medicare benefits.

“We’re taking this step to protect our seniors from fraudulent use of their Social Security numbers which can lead to identity theft and illegal use of Medicare benefits,” said CMS Administrator Seema Varma.

Personal identity theft affects a large number of seniors and this number is growing. People age 65 or older are increasingly the victims of identity theft crimes. This is why CMS is readying a fraud prevention initiative that removes Social Security numbers from Medicare cards.

CMS will begin mailing new Medicare cards in April 2018-and all Medicare cards will be replaced by April 2019. Mailing Medicare beneficiaries new cards will take time. Be aware that your card might arrive at a different time than your friend’s or neighbor’s.