Mia’s latest update gives Medicare Advantage members one-tap access to ID cards

California, September 10, 2025 – It doesn’t take a denied claim or a billing dispute to push Medicare Advantage members away. Sometimes, all it takes is a missing piece of plastic.

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Every year, thousands of seniors delay or skip care because they don’t have their health plan ID card. Pharmacies hold prescriptions. Doctor visits are canceled. And call centers light up with frustrated members who are left waiting- both on hold and for replacement cards to arrive in the mail.

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Now, health plans are starting to treat that small problem like the big one it really is. Mia, the member retention platform used by Medicare Advantage carriers across the country, has launched instant digital ID card access, giving members a way to pull up their card on their phone whenever and wherever they need it.

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Lost ID cards sit high on the list of inbound calls for most health plans. On the surface, the issue looks minor. But its ripple effects are costly: tens of thousands of calls every year, mailing and re-mailing expenses that quietly add up, first-day friction that makes new members question their plan, and delayed care that can worsen health outcomes while driving up costs. Every missed visit tied to something as avoidable as an ID card is a hit to both member health and plan performance.

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For Medicare Advantage, the first three months of a member relationship are the most fragile. Seniors who can’t easily access benefits in that window are far more likely to disengage or even switch plans. By moving ID cards to digital, health plans cut off one of the biggest early drop-off risks. Members can confirm coverage, get their prescriptions filled, and walk into their doctor’s office without interruption, all without ever dialing a call center. It’s not just convenience. It’s retention.

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Digital ID cards have now moved from novelty to necessity. As of this month, the capability is standard across every health plan using Mia. That shift reflects a broader change in expectations: seniors accustomed to banking apps and digital wallets now see paper-only cards as an outdated barrier. Health plans that ignore that shift risk losing more than members’ patience. They risk losing the member altogether.

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CMS star ratings increasingly hinge on experience metrics. Retention is under more scrutiny. And margins are thinner than ever. Against that backdrop, the small problems can no longer be ignored. Instant ID card access may not be glamorous, but in an industry where dropped visits mean both worse outcomes and higher costs, it’s exactly the kind of fix health plans can’t afford to delay.

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Health plans have long sought ways to reduce member abrasion and strengthen loyalty. With ID card access at their fingertips, the industry may finally be closing the gap on one of the most preventable sources of member disengagement.