Scammers are especially busy this time of year. Some pretend to be from Medicare or an insurance company. Their goal is to steal your personal information, or to enroll you in a plan you never agreed to. Knowing what to look for is your best defense.
How to Avoid Fraud
- Hang up on unwanted calls. You don’t owe anyone a conversation.
- Ignore uninvited emails and texts. You can delete them without responding.
- Know the rules. Agents and brokers who represent Medicare plans need your permission before they contact you.
How to Report Fraud
If you suspect Medicare fraud, report it right away:
- Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
- Visit Medicare.gov/fraud or report online at oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud
- If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare drug plan, you can also call the Investigations Medicare Drug Integrity Contractor (I-MEDIC) at 1-877-7SAFERX (1-877-772-3379)
Never give your Medicare Number, Social Security Number, or financial information to anyone you don’t know.
Check Your Statements
Medicare fraud and abuse can happen anywhere, so review your records regularly:
- Compare the dates and services on your calendar with the Medicare statements you receive. Confirm you got every service listed and that the details are correct.
- Be aware of charges for services or equipment you never received. This can be a sign of identity theft.
- Check your statements for changes you didn’t authorize. Bad actors have been known to enroll people in health plans without their knowledge.
- Check mail from your health plan and Medicare carefully.
If you have a loved one in a nursing or retirement facility, you can help them check, too.
Know What Legitimate Brokers Can and Can’t Do
A trustworthy broker can explain how Medicare works and help you compare options. They must also follow Medicare’s rules, which exist to protect you. Under those rules, a legitimate representative:
- Won’t ask for your bank account or credit card numbers over the phone before giving you a quote.
- Won’t come to your home uninvited.
- Won’t offer cash or gift cards to join a plan. Gifts worth more than $15 aren’t allowed.
- Won’t use confusing advertising, or misleading Medicare logos or images.
- Won’t pressure you with artificial time limits, early-bird discounts, or limited-time offers.
Be cautious if someone buys you a meal during a sales pitch or offers to pay for your groceries. Think twice before accepting anything in exchange for joining a plan.
Watch Out for Online Scams
Be careful with online ads and websites that might be trying to trick you. Don’t click on social media posts that claim to be from Medicare. And remember: if an offer sounds too good to be true, it is.
The Bottom Line
Protecting yourself from enrollment fraud and identity theft comes down to a few simple habits: be suspicious of unsolicited contact, guard your Medicare number as carefully as a credit card number, review your statements, and report anything that looks wrong. When in doubt, hang up, and call 1-800-MEDICARE.