Over 60 million fellow Americans rely on Medicare for their healthcare needs, so you need to be aware of this new horrible scam. With Medicare being a multi-billion dollar plan, there are scammers out there who are taking advantage of and abusing the system by tricking those of you who are on Medicare. That’s why the AARP Fraud Watch Network is taking a stand and warning all Medicare patients to watch out for this new scam.
What is the Medicare scam?
The most recent scam affecting Medicare beneficiaries relates to ‘free’ medical equipment. Scammers who are disguising themselves as Medicare representatives are making unsolicited calls to people under the guise of Medicare and offering them free medical devices such as back braces.
These scammers are extremely pushy, imploring people to agree to receive the equipment even if they don’t want or need it, all because it’s free. However, to process the benefit, the scammer will ask the caller for their Medicare number, giving them access to all the private medical information that the caller has on record.
What are the consequences of falling for this scam?
For starters, giving out your Medicare number is extremely dangerous. Not only does it allow scammers access to all your medical information, it also can cause Medicare to pay for fraudulent claims or even allow someone to impersonate you to get free healthcare. It could also put incorrect information on your medical records, which could be detrimental to your health.
Additionally, if you do end up receiving any equipment from these scammers, the equipment will likely be super low-quality and not useful to you.
How can I avoid being tricked by this scam?
- One of the most important things to remember is that a Medicare representative will never call you unless you’ve already made a call to them first and left a message. Sometimes a Medicare health or drug plan will give you a call for questioning, however only if you are already a member of that plan with your doctor’s consent.
- You must always protect your Medicare number and do not give it out to anyone except for your personal healthcare providers when they need it.
- It’s also important that you closely watch your medical bills for any outstanding balances. Your Medicare summary notice or explanation of benefits will give a clear statement of what services you’re being charged for so that you can easily identify any false information.
What can I do if my Medicare number has been used fraudulently?
If your Medicare number accidentally falls into the wrong hands, here’s what you can do:
- Contact your healthcare provider for any suspicious charges and call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) if you suspect any fraud
- Create an identity recovery plan at www.identitytheft.gov
How can I protect myself if someone gets a hold of any of my other information to impersonate me?
If you want a service that will walk you through every step of the reporting and recovery process, one of the best things you can do to protect yourself from this type of fraud is to subscribe to an identity theft service. My top recommendation is Identity Guard.
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Have you or anyone you know been a victim of this Medicare scam? We’d love to hear from you.
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