Watch Out for These 5 Sneaky Medicare Scams

Medicare is significant. Providing health coverage for individuals aged 65 and above, along with some who have specific disabilities or end-stage renal disease, it caters to over 65 million people. The program holds great value among participants but also attracts scammers due to its appeal.

Here are five Medicare frauds you should watch out for and stay clear of.

1. Can I assist you?

A lot of older adults have been deceived when individuals knocked on their doors claiming to be from Medicare and offered enticing “free” services or simply asked for personal details. Some receive similar approaches through emails, phone calls, or messages instead. It’s important to know that Medicare doesn’t initiate contact with people uninvited, whether in person or otherwise. They would only reach out after you’ve contacted them initially, maybe with an inquiry.

Keep in mind that scammers nowadays are highly skilled at appearing credible. They might possess certain details about you, like your address or Social Security number, which they could have obtained through a data breach elsewhere. This allows them to gain your confidence by revealing those pieces of information. Remain doubtful! Even when faced with an email or identification card, looks proper, skeptical -- and confirm, or even better, simply refuse.

2. Your Medicare coverage has ended!

A different con involves reaching out to a senior and alarming them by stating that their Medicare coverage has been revoked—or might be soon—and they will face serious issues unless they comply with whatever the fraudster demands from them.

Be aware that Medicare plans typically do not simply get terminated, preventing beneficiaries from being left without coverage. However, they can be canceled if premium payments are not made. To prevent this from happening, you might consider having your premiums automatically deducted from your Social Security benefits.

3. Interested in obtaining some complimentary items or medical services?

Familiarize yourself with your Medicare coverage to understand exactly what benefits it provides. For instance, "original" Medicare covers Things like inpatient hospital stays, yearly check-ups with your physician, certain home healthcare services, specific mental health therapies, preventative tests, wheelchairs, and oxygen devices, among others, are included. However, it doesn’t include coverage for dental, hearing, or vision services—although many Medicare Advantage Plans do include those — as well as all the services covered by traditional Medicare.

Should anyone approach you with complimentary or heavily discounted extra services or goods, be wary. It’s also advisable to contact Medicare to verify if a particular item or service is included under your coverage.

4. You require a replacement for your current Medicare card.

Several years back, Medicare beneficiaries started receiving updated cards with randomly assigned identification numbers, replacing the old ones based on Social Security numbers. This change prompted certain fraudsters to target elderly individuals, claiming these people needed new cards (possibly those equipped with chips — although Medicare cards actually don’t include chips) or insisting they must verify their current card’s activation using this new number. If anyone asks you to disclose or validate your Medicare number, be cautious as this could be fraudulent activity. Most recipients should possess their newer cards at present and generally won't require replacements unless theirs get lost.

5. Here’s an improved – or more cost-effective – plan for you!

Another deceitful scheme involves convincing individuals to enroll in an exclusive, superior Medicare plan — possibly claiming they have received pre-approval. This type of fraud tends to peak during the fall season when open enrollment occurs. yearly Medicare enrollment period When participants have the ability to change from one plan to another.

Fight off this scam as well. is It's wise to compare different plans and evaluate your choices annually during the enrollment phase, but ensure you conduct your own investigation into the plans accessible to you. A significant amount of research can be conducted directly through the Medicare.gov site.

Basic advice for avoiding scams

If you remember these tips, your likelihood of falling victim to fraud should decrease considerably:

• Avoid responding to unexpected phone calls, emails, or messages. Should you want details about Medicare, seek them out yourself.
• Avoid sharing your personal details, including your Medicare number, Social Security number, address, or birth date with others except when necessary. sure You know whom they are.
• Avoid signing up for or accepting any unsolicited gifts, services, or health plans that come your way unexpectedly.
• Avoid getting flustered, frightened, or pressured by unexpected communication.
• If you're unsure, reach out directly to Medicare yourself by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or visiting medicare.gov.
• If you encounter someone impersonating a Medicare representative, report them by reaching out to Medicare directly and also filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) through ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

In general, The greater your understanding of Medicare becomes. , the more unlikely it becomes that you'll get scammed. It's worthwhile staying current with Medicare in the headlines as well, to observe whether it could be becoming stronger or weaker.

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