Your subscriber number is located on the front of your insurance card. It is an 8-11 digit number, and it is usually the most prominent information on your card. For easy identification, the number will be labeled. It won’t always be a subscriber number, but it could also carry other names like member ID and policy number.
Other Names For Subscriber Number
As expected, every insurance company will incorporate different designs when issuing their insurance cards to stand out.
A majority of the companies you come across will use the term “subscriber number.” However, other companies may have a different name for referring to the same thing.
Other terms you’ll encounter that mean the same thing is:
1. Subscriber ID
2. Policy Number
3. Membership Number
4. Member ID
5. Identification Number
So if you’re ever looking for your subscriber number on your insurance card and can’t find that exact term, search for the other names we listed; they all mean the same thing.
Why Your Subscriber ID Is Important
It may seem like some irrelevant string of numbers, but your policy number is one of the most important bits of information to have.
An example of an instance where you would need your subscriber ID is during a hospital trip. Your health care provider will require you to provide them with your subscriber ID. With it, they can verify that you are medically insured, and the hospital will send your bill to your insurance provider.
Individuals with automobile insurance will need their member ID if they are involved in an accident. This will help their insurance company identify their account and make the necessary payments as per their insurance plan.
This is the case for anyone with any form of insurance. Without your subscriber ID, it isn’t easy to make claims on your insurance company when the need arises.
Another instance where you will need your membership number is when discussing your insurance company.
Like we mentioned earlier, your ID number is a form of verification. With it, your company can verify that you are one of their policyholders. In addition to that, you will also need it to make any changes to your current policy plan.
What Do I Do If I Lose My Subscriber ID?
Life is filled with many unforeseen events; many of them are unfortunate. For example, if you lose your insurance card or are stolen, you may feel a panic attack. Understandably so since it contains vital information about your insurance policy, the most important being policy number. However, there’s no need to panic. If you’ve lost access to your insurance card, there are other ways to regain your vital information.
Search Your Email
Usually, after subscribing to a policy with an insurance company, you will receive a mail with some vital information. Most of the time, your policy number will be part of the information shared in this mail.
Check Other Documents
Your insurance card isn’t the only thing that contains your policy number. Other documents may also carry your membership ID.
An example is your bank statement. Another place to check for your insurance policy number is on any document issued to you upon registration with your insurance provider.
Use Online Resources
Thanks to modern technology, many insurance companies have made it easy to access your information online. Log on to your company’s website with the necessary details, and voila, you’ve recovered your membership ID.
Contact Your Insurance Company
It would be best to do this as soon as you realize your insurance card was missing. Most insurance providers will reissue a new card at a fee. All they may require is a valid means of identification and some form of proof that you are a policyholder in their company.
If you bought your insurance through an agent, you could also contact them to provide you with your insurance policy number. And finally, there is the option of calling your company’s customer care department. They should provide you with your policy number after you provide them with the necessary information to verify your identity and your status as a policyholder in their organization.
Protecting Yourself Against Insurance Identity Theft
You may be familiar with the term identity theft already, a situation where someone takes out products in your name, i.e., they pretend to be you.
In this context, someone poses as you so they can enjoy your insurance coverage. This is most common with medical insurance. According to statistics, 27% of data breaches were related to medical records in 2017. This can pose a danger to the victim’s life because of the hospital’s changes to their medical record. Protecting yourself from insurance identity theft is no different from how it is done against common identity theft.
The most critical step is to keep details relating to your policy safe. Treat your insurance card the same way you would your bank card, as it contains vital information about your insurance policy.
If you have soft copies of your insurance documents on your smartphone phone, try not to leave them where it is accessible to anyone who is on your phone. Yes, Keep it in a hidden folder, or set up a password to access it.
Be careful when using public WiFi, as fraudsters can hack or mimic them. We advise you to avoid opening sensitive applications like your bank app when connected to public WiFi.
Conclusion
Your subscriber ID number, which is located on the front of your insurance ID card, is one of the most vital pieces of information you’d need. It is important because it would be impossible to verify you as a policyholder in an insurance company without it.
If you ever lose your insurance ID card, you can always access your policy number via other sources such as policy documents, bank statements, and online resources.
Lastly, you must keep your membership ID alongside other bits of information regarding your insurance safe lest you become a victim of insurance identity theft.