It seems that every time you turn around there is a new attempt to scam seniors. Here is one of the ways this happens;
You get a phone call from a company, the representative on the phone tells you they are calling on behalf of your doctor’s office to set up your medical supplies shipment. They just need to verify your information, for example, shipping address, and your medicare number. With this information, they will then bill Medicare for supplies, things such as catheters, glucose test strips, and urine protein test strips. These items are never shipped to you, the next time you go to your doctor’s office, if you inquire about it, they will have no record of ordering the supplies for you.
Medicare was just scammed out of hundreds of dollars. And since they now have your information, they can continue to run this scam every three months. The fraud runs the gamut: billing for unapproved Covid tests, phony billing for wheelchairs, braces, and other medical equipment, genetic testing fraud, home healthcare billing, and a host of other schemes. The American taxpayers are losing more than $100 billion a year to Medicare and Medicaid fraud, according to estimates from the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association.
But here is how YOU can do your part and protect yourself from Medicare fraud and scams:
- If you get a call, text or email asking for your Medicare Number, don’t respond. Don’t give your Medicare card or Medicare Number to anyone except your doctor or people you know should have it.
- Check your Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs) or claims statements carefully. If you see a charge for a service you didn’t get or a product you didn’t order, it may be fraud. If you suspect fraud, report it at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
- Guard your Medicare card like it’s a credit card.
Click the image to view an important video to help protect your Medicare.
Don’t get scammed!
For more tips on IRS scammers, check out our post on scams.