Scammers are extra busy this time of year. They may pretend to be from Medicare or an insurance company to try to steal your personal information — or even enroll you in a plan without your knowledge.
Medicare fraud and abuse can happen anywhere. It’s important that you protect your Medicare card, number, and other personal information, and check your Medicare claims regularly. What are some examples of Medicare fraud?
To help spot and prevent Medicare fraud and abuse:
- Compare the dates and services on your calendar with the Medicare statements you get to make sure you got each service listed and that all the details are correct.
- Protect your personal information and become familiar with how Medicare uses it.
- Know what a Medicare health or drug plan can and can’t do before you join. If you join a Medicare health or drug plan, the plan will let you know how it will use your personal information.
- Learn more about Medicare and recent scams.
Remember, legitimate agents and brokers who represent Medicare plans need your permission before contacting you. If you get an unsolicited call, just hang up. Uninvited emails or texts? You can ignore those, too.
If you suspect Medicare fraud, report it immediately to Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE or visit Medicare.gov/fraud. And as always, never give your Medicare Number, Social Security number, or financial information to anyone you don’t know.
