Most Alabama Medicaid recipients have permanent plastic Medicaid cards. These cards are white, blue, and green and resemble a credit card. Each card is embossed on the front (with raised lettering) with the following:
• Recipient Identification (RID) number
• Name
• Date of birth
• Sex and race
• Two-digit card number
The magnetic stripe on the back of the card has been encoded with the RID for use with a point of service device or card swipe attached to a PC. New recipients are issued permanent Medicaid cards within 10-14 working days of eligibility determination.
Providers should check the two-digit card number against the card number returned as part of the eligibility verification response. The first card issued has a number of ‘00’; the second, ‘01’; and so on. If the numbers do not match (for instance, if the plastic card number is ‘00’ but the eligibility response returns a card number of ‘01’) please notify the recipient they are using an old card and ask to see photo identification.
Notification Letters
Recipients may not have a permanent plastic card for some of the following reasons:
• Recipients without a Social Security Number (SSN), such as unborn children, newborns, foster children, or some children who have been adopted
• Recipients with retroactive eligibility, but not current eligibility
• Recipients residing in a nursing facility who are not certified as QMB only
