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Watch Out for the Latest Medicare Scams

Criminals want your personal information in order to perpetrate fraud


a medicare card sits in the middle of a spring trap
Illustration: Rob Dobi

You may get a phone call from someone asking whether you’ve received your new Medicare card yet. They may know your personal details, like your date of birth or address. Don’t let that convince you that the caller is legitimate; scammers can purchase or find such data easily enough.

Unfortunately, many people don’t realize that Medicare won’t contact you out of the blue. Victims engage with these criminals, sometimes giving away personal financial information and Medicare details.

Scammers can then use that personal information to commit identity fraud (stealing money from victims’ bank accounts, among other potential fraud crimes). They might use the stolen Medicare number to make bogus claims, typically for medical equipment, genetic testing kits, diabetic supplies or deceptive hospice enrollments.

Fraud, along with errors and abuse, causes Medicare to lose an estimated $60 billion annually.

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Common Medicare scams

New card offers. Criminals pretend to be from Medicare and tell beneficiaries that they will receive a new Medicare card with a chip or one that is plastic instead of paper. (Medicare cards are paper and none have a chip.) They may even say the new card includes additional benefits, such as a gift card.

“The scammer will say they need to confirm the Medicare ID and other personal information. In some cases, they tell the person they just need to provide banking account information to make sure they can continue paying their premiums,” says Kim McKenna, Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) coordinator for the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

Submission of false claims. “[Criminals] may use a person’s ID to contact a doctor’s office and request an order for medical equipment or tests, then submit claims without the beneficiary even knowing,” McKenna says. Scammers then get reimbursed by Medicare for the fake services.

Criminals take advantage of the fact that Medicare beneficiaries typically don’t receive a bill if Medicare and a supplemental policy cover the full cost, so victims may not even become aware of the fraud until services they didn’t receive appear on their quarterly summary notice.

In one of the most egregious scams, criminals enroll Medicare beneficiaries in hospice without their knowledge — even though they are not terminally ill — and collect payment from Medicare for hospice services that were never delivered. Meanwhile, the beneficiary has legitimate claims denied because Medicare won’t pay for many medical interventions after someone is enrolled in hospice.

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Have you seen this scam?

  • Call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360 or report it with the AARP Scam Tracking Map.  
  • Get Watchdog Alerts for tips on avoiding such scams.

How to recognize a Medicare scam

Unexpected calls from someone claiming to work for Medicare. “The only time someone would receive a call from Medicare is if the beneficiary called Medicare first and scheduled a phone appointment with a representative,” McKenna says.

Offers of a new Medicare card. “No one would receive a new Medicare card unless they personally requested one from Medicare, like in a case where their ID has been compromised,” she notes.

Fees for new or upgraded cards. Medicare cards are paper; there are no plastic Medicare cards or cards with chips. You can print a new Medicare card anytime from your online Medicare account.

Requests for personal information. “Medicare will not call beneficiaries to ask for personal information or to update your information or give you a new Medicare card number,” says Rose Morales, an SMP fraud investigative analyst with California Health Advocates.

Callers don’t clearly identify themselves. “Most scammers use generic phrases like ‘I’m calling from your health care provider’ or ‘I’m calling from Medicare Services,’ ” Morales says.

Threats of coverage cancellation. The caller says they’ll cancel your Medicare coverage unless you provide personal information over the phone. Medicare will never call you about canceling your coverage, and you will receive several bills and a delinquency notice in the mail before Medicare cancels your coverage for not paying Part B premiums.

Strange bills or charges. Take note if you receive a bill from a hospital or medical provider for care you didn’t receive, or you see a suspicious charge on your Medicare summary notice, which is your quarterly explanation of benefits from Medicare.

How to protect yourself from Medicare scams

1.   Know how Medicare works. As noted above, Medicare won’t call you out of the blue with requests for information or new card offers. Find out more at AARP’s Medicare resource center

2. Hang up immediately. If someone asks for your Medicare card number, hang up and call back on the number you know to be associated with them. Don’t use a number they give you. (It's good practice to never answer calls from people you don't know.)

3. Keep your Medicare card at home. Only carry your Medicare card if you need it for a medical appointment. If you’re worried about what happens if you’re in an accident, you can keep a copy of the card in your wallet with the number crossed out. If you’re in an accident, you’ll only need to show you have Medicare and your coverage start date and can provide the number later.

4. Read your Medicare claims notices. “Review your Medicare summary notice and explanation of benefits as you would with your own credit card statement,” Morales says. Look for claims for services you didn’t receive or for duplicate claims. You can check your claims record by reviewing the notice you receive in the mail every three months, or you can sign up to receive monthly electronic statements. To see current claims, go to your online Medicare account.  

5. Investigate odd charges. If you find suspicious charges on your Medicare summary notice, first contact your doctor’s office to ensure it isn’t just an error, and then contact Medicare or your local SMP to report the activity.

What to do if you’ve been targeted

Report the call to Medicare at 800-633-4227 and your state’s Senior Medicare Patrol at 877-808-2468. SMP volunteers can answer questions about suspicious charges and potential scams and help you report the fraud to Medicare and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, which investigates Medicare fraud. They can also help you determine whether your Medicare number has been compromised and you should get a new one.

Report scams to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

For support and guidance, the trained fraud specialists at the free AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline, 877-908-3360, can share information on what to do next and how to avoid future scams. The AARP Fraud Watch Network also offers online group support sessions.

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spinner image cartoon of a woman holding a megaphone

Have you seen this scam?

  • Call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360 or report it with the AARP Scam Tracking Map.  
  • Get Watchdog Alerts for tips on avoiding such scams.