Medicare card number identifier N(11)

Guide for use:
Full Medicare number for an individual (i.e. family number plus person (individual reference) number).

Comments:

The Medicare card number is printed on a Medicare card and is used to access Medicare records for an eligible person.

Up to 9 persons can be included under the one Medicare card number with up to five persons appearing on one physical card.

Persons grouped under one Medicare card number are often a family, however, there is no requirement for persons under the same Medicare card number to be related.

A person may be shown under separate Medicare card numbers where, for example, a child needs to be included on separate Medicare cards held by their parents. As a person can be identified on more than one Medicare card this is not a unique identifier for a person.