By Roy Whited
This information was taken in part from an article posted on 12-18-2011 by MedicalBillingAndCoding.org/blog.
Whether you or someone you care about is a recipient of Medicare, it's essential to watch out for scammers in order to protect your benefits. Here we have listed some common scams that criminals use to try to get their hands on your Medicare number and the potential goldmine of benefits it can mean for them. Remember, never give out your information to anyone other than your health care provider. No one else should ever ask for it! Perhaps one exception to this would be your agent, or representative for your Medicare Supplement or Advantage Plan who may need the number to complete your application.
#1. The Poser Scam:
One of the more common ways criminals scam those with Medicare is by posing as Medicare employees, health care practitioners, or insurance representatives, something many may not suspect. These fraudsters call, email, or send a letter asking for personal information that usually includes bankaccount, Social Security, and Medicare numbers. While the interactions may seem legitimate, it's important to remember that federal employees, working for Medicare or otherwise, will never phone or email you to get bank or Medicare information. Why would they need to? Your insurance provider or doctor will not either. If you encounter any of these mailings or calls: hang up, ignore, and report them.
#2. The Healthcare Reform Scam
Healthcare reform is on the lips of just about everyone these days, and scammers are using it to cash in. Many adults don't know what the new healthcare legislation actually entails, and that's just the way criminals want it. It makes many Americans easy targets for scams, like those that claim to sell “healthcare reform insurance” that purportedly protects seniors from losses to their Medicare or fines they may incur from not meeting guidelines. The thing is, healthcare reform insurance doesn't exist. Identity thieves and scammers will use this tactic to try to get your Medicare numbers, SS numbers. They can create a whole heap of trouble for you.
#3. The Free Lunch Scam
Everyone loves free stuff, right? Well in this case, there truly is no such thing as a free lunch. Scammers in low income areas are taking advantage of some of the neediest Medicare recipients by drawing them in to fake health care clinics with the promise of free food or gifts. Once they have the victim right where they want them, they try to get Medicare numbers through coercion and then use them to commit Medicare fraud. No legitimate clinic or government program will ever exchange gifts for using their services. So, no matter how great it looks on paper, it's probably bogus.
#4. The Kickback Scam
While you'd be able to smell this scam from a mile away, some fraudsters can be pretty darn tricky. They might offer you a cut of the take in exchange for your Medicare number, but they won't put it like that. Criminals might veil it under a prize, reward, or other guise to mask the fact that they're doing something that is very clearly illegal. If anyone ever promises you a gift or monetary rewards for Medicare number, decline their offer immediately. You'll be drawn into the scam, and could face criminal charges for your role.
#5. The Refund Rip off Scam
As part of the Affordable Care Act, many senior Medicare recipients may be eligible to receive a refund from the government of $250 to help cover their prescription drug costs. Criminals have pounced on these checks as an opportunity to make some extra cash and scam some Medicare numbers at the same time. Many have called seniors and told them that they need to confirm Medicare numbers in order to send out the checks. The scams are varied and quite nefarious in that they prey on those that need benefits of Medicare the most. Keep in mind that Medicare numbers are like credit card numbers: they should never be given out to strangers over the phone.
#6. The Imposter Employee Scam
Anyone can claim to work for the government, and many who fall victim to fraudsters may not have thought to ask for identification (though that could easily be faked as well). The reality is that many criminals looking to scam those on Medicare will call or even come to the home of recipients asking for personal information like Medicare numbers and bank accounts. Medicare will not send people out to collect this information, nor do they cooperate with private insurers to collect this information. Never trust someone who calls or visits you out of the blue looking for information on this kind.
Should you be approached or exposed to any of the above scams make sure you contact the local police, the sheriff's office or the State Insurance Department to file an official complaint.
Should you have other questions about how to protect your life savings including your home, contract the law office of Cooper, Adel, and Associates to schedule a consultation at 1-800-798-5297.
Did you know that Medicare will not pay for any part of a nursing home stay if you or your loved one were not “admitted” to the hospital for three days? Sometimes the person was just in the hospital for “observation.” Under current Medicare laws, if you are in for “observation,” you were not considered “admitted” to the hospital and Medicare will not pay for your nursing home stay.
