Contact Medicare Customer Service
Contacting Medicare Customer Service Center
Medicare is the insurance system in place for aging and retired men and women in the United States. Insurance plans offered by Medicare can be extremely confusing with some changes being the topic of extensive classes and help seminars to guide seniors to make the best healthcare choice for their health needs. Customer service options for Medicare recipients is difficult to narrow down as much of the information is sorted into states and organizations.
Click here to leave a comment about your customer service experience.Contact Info:
Phone Contact Numbers
If you need to find a number to contact Medicare customer service you will have to answer a few questions along the way. Go to http://www.medicare.gov/Contacts/Default.aspx and choose specific organization or information on a topic. Click the link to find contacts and follow the instructions.
You can call the customer service number 1-800-Medicare to talk with someone about your Medicare issue. You will need to key in the numbers on your Medicare card to reach a representative.
- Customer Service: 1-800-633-4227
Mailing Address
There is no dedicated customer service address for Medicare customer service, but there is a main office for the government organization that controls Medicare. You can write a letter of compliment, concern or question to this office, but there is a good chance you will not receive a response. Include your contact information, including name, address, email address and phone number in the letter if you would like a response.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services7500 Security BlvdBaltimore, MD 21244
Official Website
The Medicare official website at http://www.medicare.gov/ is a little confusing. We love the fact that Medicare recipients can search for tests, medications, services and more from the front page to see if the item is covered by insurance. We searched for complete blood count, CBC, rasp test and several medication names, but nothing we searched resulted in an answer. Finally we realized the topics were extremely general like Supplies for Home Use, Diagnostic Tests and Flu Shots. There is a section of the website located at http://www.medicare.gov/claims-and-appeals/index.html where Medicare recipients can file a complaint or claim.
Customer Service Email
There is no dedicated email address for simple contact, but there are several forms for contacting Medicare with a complaint. From http://www.medicare.gov/claims-and-appeals/file-a-complaint/complaints.html you can choose the type of complaint you have. We tried to find a single contact form by clicking through the options, but we were never routed to a specific form just instruction on where to go to file a complaint.
Our Experience
We called 1-800-Medicare to find out just how hard it is to contact a representative. We found that the system was setup to route callers to a specific department using an automated system and the Medicare number. Press 0 when the automated system starts and enter your Medicare number. If you do not enter your Medicare number your call will be transferred to a customer service agent – just wait for the automated system to stop asking for the Medicare number. You will need your number when you talk to the agent.
If you are a provider calling in for claims, beware of a rep named Ebony. She is terrible and will not hesitate to hang up on you. I guess Medicare call centers are not held to the same policies, expectations & corporate governances as corporate insurance companies. Also, if you call back and try to escalate, they advise you will have to wait 10-15 business days before you get a callback. This is not first contact resolution and this is not mindful of cost per contact metrics. These reps on the line simply read ANSI responses, then tell you to appeal. If you ask for a policy, they tell you to look it up. CMS.gov is not the easiest website to work.