If
anyone offers anything in exchange for a Medicare number, hang up on them
immediately
Gary Guthrie Reporter
The scammers are attempting to get consumers’
Medicare numbers, and they accomplish that by saying they’ll take the
information in exchange for a product like a face mask.
The bag of tricks the scammers use include
robocalls, text messages, ads, emails, social media posts, and even going
door-to-door offering free face masks, free COVID-19 testing kits, cures, and
protective equipment.
What happens if a scammer gets someone’s
Medicare number?
The scammers want Medicare numbers for one
thing: to benefit themselves. The sad thing is that when that happens,
beneficiaries face potential harms.
“The personal information collected can be used
to fraudulently bill Federal health care programs and commit medical identity
theft,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector
General warns.
“If Medicare or Medicaid denies the claim for an
unapproved test, the beneficiary could be responsible for the cost.”
How to protect yourself from Medicare fraud
Federal officials in charge of the Medicare
program are offering five essential reminders that subscribers can use to keep
the fraudsters at bay:
1.
Medicare will never
contact you for your Medicare number or for any other personal information --
unless you gave them permission in advance to call you.
2.
Medicare will never call
you to sell you anything. The agency is an insurance provider, nothing more and
nothing less.
3.
If you get a call from
someone who offers you things in exchange for giving them a Medicare number,
don’t do it.
4.
Medicare will never
visit you at your home.
5.
Medicare can’t enroll
you over the phone unless you called first.
If at any time something doesn’t appear up to
snuff, it’s important to call the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS). Their toll-free phone number is 1-800-MEDICARE
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