By The Senior Medicare Patrol National Resource
Center | 6.22.2020
The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) has been receiving complaints
of unsolicited callers using the fear and uncertainty from the COVID-19 pandemic
to prey on Medicare beneficiaries. SMPs, who operate in every state, help
beneficiaries prevent, detect, and report Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse.
How to spot a scam or fraud
Be wary if you receive an unsolicited phone call that offers:
·
To send you COVID-19 testing kits,
vaccines, prescriptions, supplies such as masks, creams, and hand sanitizer, or
even a COVID-19 treatment package. Beneficiaries who give out their information
sometimes get back or orthotic braces in the mail instead.
·
A new Medicare card and COVID
supplies in exchange for a Medicare number. Medicare will not call you
to offer a new card or request information in order to issue a new
card.
·
More Medicare insurance coverage.
Insurance companies who do not already have a relationship with a beneficiary
cannot initiate a call. Information about changes to Medicare coverage because
of the pandemic can be found on this practice tip from
the National Center on Law & Elder Rights.
Other examples of potential COVID-19 fraud that SMPs have seen
are health care providers improperly diagnosing patients with COVID-19 in order
to receive higher payment; people going door to door at senior housing to
perform COVID-19 tests; and hospitals attempting to charge for COVID-19
antibody tests.
How to Protect Yourself
To protect yourself, we recommend that you:
·
Contact your own doctor (not a doctor
you’ve never met who calls) if you are experiencing potential symptoms of COVID-19.
·
Do not give out your Medicare number,
Social Security number, or personal information in response to unsolicited
calls, texts, emails, or home visits. Personal information that is compromised
may be used in other fraud schemes as well.
·
Be suspicious of anyone going door to
door offering free COVID-19 testing, supplies, or treatments.
·
Carefully review your Medicare
Summary Notice (MSN) or Explanation of Benefits (EOB), looking for errors or
claims for products or services that weren’t received.
·
Follow the instructions of state or
local government for other actions you should take in response to COVID-19.
·
Contact your local SMP for help.
Contact and other information for SMPs can be found at smpresource.org.
·
For Medicare coverage questions,
contact the local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) at shiptacenter.org or
1-877-839-2675.
For more information and resources related to COVID-19 fraud,
errors, and abuse, visit the SMP National Resource Center’s COVID-19 Fraud web page.
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