A guide to RR Medicare’s voice-responsive phone line

February 7, 2013

You need to know more about your Railroad Medicare benefits or specific claims.  Sometimes you’d like to find the information on your own, and other times, you want to speak with a Customer Service Representative (CSR).  Railroad Medicare, administered by Palmetto GBA, gives you the best of both of worlds. 

Just call Palmetto’s IVR at (800) 833-4455.  Without ever speaking to a person, you have direct access to the following: 

  • Eligibility
  • Deductible
  • Claim Status
  • Ability to order duplicate Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs)
  • General information about your benefits and coverage 

If you have questions, at any time, you can simply press “0” to speak with a CSR.  To assist you, Palmetto has posted a handy IVR flowchart on its website at www.PalmettoGBA.com/RR/Me.  Just look under “Resources” on the left-hand side of the page, and then “IVR Information.”

The following are tips for using the IVR: 

How To Enter Your Medicare Number: The IVR will prompt you to select the letter(s) at the beginning of your Railroad Medicare Health Identification Claim (HIC) Number. This is located on your red, white and blue Medicare card. 

For HIC numbers with more than one letter, the IVR will prompt you to select the next letter.  Here is a list of how the different letters are entered, using the numbers on your telephone key pad:  

  • To enter an “A” press 2
  • To enter “CA” press 5
  • To enter “H” press 3
  • To enter “MA” press 21
  • To enter “MH” press 22
  • To enter “PA” press 61
  • To enter “PD” press 62
  • To enter “PH” press 63
  • To enter “WA” press 41
  • To enter “WCA” press 44
  • To enter “WCD” press 45
  • To enter “WCH” press 46
  • To enter “WD” press 43
  • To enter “WH” press 42

Medicare Summary Notice: If you need a copy of an MSN, just enter your HIC number, date of birth (MMYY) and the date of service (MMDDYY) for the claim that appears on the MSN you’re looking for.   Here’s an example with apostrophes added for clarification: 

  • To enter a date of birth for October 1921, press “1021” 
  • To enter the date of service of October 7, 2012, press “100712” 

Deductible: You can verify if your Part B Deductible has been met for the current calendar year. 

Claim Status: Request claim status by entering your HIC number, date of birth (MMYY), date of service (MMDDYY), and the first six letters of your last name.

When is the IVR Available?

  • General information is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week
  • Claims and deductible status are available Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET
  • Customer Service Representatives are available Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET. 

In addition to Palmetto’s IVR and website, they also invite you to visit their Facebook page, called ‘My RR Medicare’ at www.facebook.com/myrrmedicare.