In last week's column, I shared some stories about the history of the Social Security number. That was a prelude to this week's column. I have been saving up some emails I've received over the past several weeks about SSNs. Here are a few of them.

Q: I saw an online ad that said there were hidden meanings to Social Security numbers and that for $9.99 they would send me a booklet that explains the "secrets behind the SSN." I almost sent the money, but then remembered your column. Do you have any idea what I would get for the money?

A: I'm not exactly sure what they will send you, but I can tell you it will be the world's shortest booklet! In fact, I will share with you the so-called "hidden meanings" to a Social Security number in the next couple of paragraphs. If you want to send me ten bucks for doing that, I'd appreciate it!

Are you ready for the big secret? The first three numbers — of the nine-digit SSN — used to be an indication of where you were living when you got your first Social Security card. (I say "used to be" because since 2011, SSNs are just issued randomly.) The other six numbers, both in the past and still today, mean nothing. That's the "hidden meaning." I can't even guess what else would be contained in the $9.99 booklet.

Now back to those first three numbers. Here is an example of what they can tell you for numbers issued before 2011. My Social Security number starts with the numbers "394." You can check the Social Security Administration website, www.socialsecurity.gov (I did a search under "meaning of SSN") and find out that 394 numbers were issued in Wisconsin. That's it! That's the big secret.

In the past, you used to able to search just a bit deeper. You were able to learn that "394" numbers were issued in the state of Wisconsin between the years 1955 and 1962. And it was in those years that I got my first Social Security card. This information was really only helpful to genealogists. For example, if you were doing research on some long lost relatives and had their SSNs, you would have been able to learn which state they were living in when they got their card and in roughly what years they were living there. That obviously isn't really a big genealogical clue, but it is one tiny bit of information to help fill in a family tree.

Alas, I searched SSA's website and could no longer find that more detailed information. The agency has adopted policies they say are to "protect the integrity of the SSN." Issuing the numbers in a totally random fashion (again, since 2011) is part of that new policy.

Q: I am about to turn 62 and plan to apply for Social Security. But I am in a bit of a panic because I can't find my Social Security card. Will I have to get a replacement before I can file for my retirement benefits?

A: You can replace your lost Social Security card if you want. But you don't need it to apply for Social Security benefits. You obviously need to know what your number is, which I'm sure you do, but you don't need the little paper SSN card.

In fact, come to think of it, I haven't seen my own Social Security card in maybe 30 years or so. I've got a hunch it's buried somewhere in a box in my basement or attic. But I have no desire to look for it. Nor can I think of any reason I would need it. I'm not saying there aren't times when you might need to show someone your Social Security card. But I am saying that I don't expect to encounter any of those situations in the rest of my lifetime.

If you are applying for a job, you often need to show an employer your Social Security card. And sometimes if you are trying to get certain kinds of government benefits, you need to show your card. But most of the time when anyone needs your Social Security number, you just tell them the number without having to show the card.

To get a replacement card, you can go to www.socialsecurity.gov or visit your nearest Social Security office. And that leads to the next question.

Q: I recently had to go to my local Social Security office to turn in my birth certificate after I applied for retirement benefits online. I was simply shocked by all the young people and children I saw in the waiting room. I thought Social Security was for old people! No wonder the system is going belly up if we are handing out monthly checks to anyone who walks in the door!

A: They are not handing out monthly checks to all those young people you saw. They are handing out Social Security cards. As someone who spent a big chunk of his lifetime working in Social Security offices around the country, I can tell you that probably 80 percent of the people who go to a Social Security office are there to replace a lost or missing Social Security card.

Q: If I have my Medicare card, do I need to have my Social Security card, too?

A: The Medicare card and Social Security card are used for entirely different reasons. And sometimes, your Medicare number and your Social Security number are not the same.

In the answer to the prior question, I discussed when and why the Social Security number and card is used. You usually need your Medicare card when you visit a hospital, doctor, or other medical provider — especially for the first time.

If you are getting Social Security benefits on someone else's Social Security record, then your Medicare number will be different from your Social Security number. For example, if you receive widow's benefits, then your Medicare number is your husband's Social Security number with the letter "D" behind it. "D" is the symbol used to designate widow's benefits. Don't ask me why it's not "W."

If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has the answer. Contact him at thomas.margenau@comcast.net. To find out more about Tom Margenau and to read past columns and see features from other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.