August 15, 2017

Don’t Fall for Fraud

Medical identity theft is the unlawful use of your name and social security or medicare number to obtain healthcare, buy medications, or bill Medicare on your behalf.  It is important that we stay vigilant in reviewing our Medicare Summary Notices when they come in the mail and safeguarding our protected health information to combat the rise in these crimes. Here are some tips to remember to help protect yourself:

  1. Protect your Medicare and Social Security numbers like you would a credit card number- don’t give them out. Do not provide these numbers to anyone who calls you or shows up at your door.
  2. Never give out personal information to anyone who calls you on the phone. Remember, neither Medicare nor Social Security will ever call you to ask for personal information, including your ID numbers.
  3. The only people you should share your Medicare number and personal information with are doctors and other healthcare providers whom you have contacted or received services from, Medicare-approved plans, your insurance company, and people whom you know and trust who work with Medicare, such as SHIIP, Social Security, or Arkansas SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol).

The most commonly reported scam to the Arkansas Attorney General’s office in 2016 was IRS impostor fraud in which scam artists are calling households posing as the IRS and demanding money wired to them, threatening arrest if they do not comply. Remember that the IRS will never call to demand payment, require that taxes be paid over the phone, or threaten to arrest you if payment is not made. The best response if you think a phone call may be fraudulent is to hang up the phone.

Download and print the Medicare Protection Toolkit to review before making changes to your Medicare. You can also call 1-866-726-2916 for a free copy!

Report suspected fraud, waste, and abuse to Arkansas SMP @ 1-866-726-2916.

 

 

Sources:

Medical ID Theft / Fraud Information

Attorney General Consumer Alerts: Top 10 Consumer Complaints

Arkansas Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP)