By Loretta Hartzell, Hartzell & Associates, Inc.

You may have heard that new Medicare cards have started to be mailed out to everyone on Medicare. Hang tight – mailing takes some time across the country, and you might get your card at a different time than friends or neighbors in your state. In the meantime, keep using your current Medicare card until your new one arrives.

You have 3 ways to find out when you should expect your new Medicare card in the mail:

• Check out the map on Medicare.gov/NewCard. Keep coming back to check the status of card mailings in your state. Remember, once card mailings begin in your state, it will take about a month to finish.

• Keep an eye on your email. You will receive an email update when new Medicare cards start mailing in your state.

• Log into your MyMedicare.gov account to see if your new card has been mailed. Don’t have an account yet?

Sign up now at MyMedicare.gov – it’s free, secure and an easy way to access all your Medicare information in one place.