Medicare

Medicare Reminds Beneficiaries to Stay Alert for Fraud and Abuse

Medicare officials are urging beneficiaries to stay vigilant as scams, fraudulent billing, and improper use of personal information continue to rise nationwide. Fraud and abuse can happen anywhere, and protecting your Medicare card, number, and medical information is the first line of defense.

How Medicare Fraud Happens

Fraud can take many forms, including billing for services you never received, charging for unnecessary treatments, or using your Medicare number to submit false claims. Officials say the best way to catch suspicious activity is to regularly review your Medicare statements and compare them with the dates and services actually received.

Steps You Can Take to Prevent Medicare Fraud

Medicare encourages beneficiaries to take the following precautions:

• Check your statements: Compare the dates and services listed on your Medicare Summary Notice or Explanation of Benefits with your personal calendar. Contact your provider if something doesn’t look right.

• Protect personal information: Safeguard your Medicare card, number, and Social Security information. Understand how Medicare uses your data, and never give it out unless the person is someone who should legitimately have it.

• Know plan rules: Before joining a Medicare health or drug plan, make sure you understand what the plan can and cannot do with your information.

• Stay aware of current scams: Medicare publishes updates about emerging fraud schemes so beneficiaries can stay informed.

What Medicare Will—and Will NOT—Do

Medicare emphasizes that it will never:

• Call you to sell you anything

• Visit your home uninvited

• Ask for personal or financial information unless you initiated the contact

A legitimate Medicare representative may only call you if you have already joined a plan, returned a call, reported fraud, or specifically requested assistance.

Avoid These Common Pitfalls

Medicare advises beneficiaries not to:

• Share your Medicare or Social Security numbers with anyone except trusted medical providers, insurers working on your behalf, or your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).

• Accept gifts or money in exchange for “free” medical care.

• Allow anyone besides your doctor or approved Medicare providers to review your medical records or recommend services.

• Enroll in a Medicare plan over the phone unless you initiated the call.

If Your Medicare Card Is Lost or Stolen

• If your Medicare card is lost, stolen, or damaged, contact Medicare immediately to request a replacement. Acting quickly helps prevent unauthorized use of your benefits.

Here is a YouTube video to help explain it 

https://youtu.be/K8WOkSlqRNI?si=mfqjp4XC7ZDefGmv

Below is a website link taking you to the Medicare government website 

https://www.medicare.gov/basics/reporting-medicare-fraud-and-abuse