Medicare scams: how to spot them and what to do

Your Medicare number is valuable to scammers: they use it to bill Medicare for care or equipment you never got. A few simple rules stop most of it.

What Medicare won't do

• Medicare won't call you to sell a plan or ask for your Medicare number, unless you called them first and asked them to call back.
• Medicare won't come to your home or charge you for a new card.
• Medicare won't threaten to cancel your benefits if you don't share personal information.

Common scams

• "Free" equipment or tests: back braces, diabetic supplies or genetic tests offered by phone or at events, billed to Medicare without your doctor ordering them.
• "New card" calls: someone says you need a new card and asks to "verify" your number.
• Fake benefit ads: TV or online ads promising cash back or a "flex card" worth a large amount, which lead to high-pressure sales calls.
• Impersonation: a caller who says they're "from Medicare" or Social Security and asks for your number or bank details.

Protect yourself

• Treat your Medicare card like a credit card. Share the number only with your doctors, pharmacy, insurer or someone you chose to help you.
• Check your Medicare Summary Notice or plan statement for services you didn't get.
• Hang up on unexpected calls, and call back using a number you look up yourself.

Report it

Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to report suspected fraud, or contact your state's Senior Medicare Patrol, a free program that helps people check bills and report fraud: 1-877-808-2468.