Medicare Fraud Is Real, But Rare — Awareness Still Matters
Most Medicare billing is legitimate, but fraud does happen, and beneficiaries are often the first line of defense simply by reviewing their own statements and knowing what red flags to watch for.
Common Warning Signs
- A bill for a service or item you never received. This is the most common red flag, and one your Medicare Summary Notice or EOB will show clearly if you actually review it.
- Someone offering “free” medical equipment or services in exchange for your Medicare number. Nothing that requires giving out your Medicare number over an unsolicited phone call or door-to-door visit is legitimate.
- Pressure to sign up for a service on the spot. Legitimate providers and agents don’t need an immediate decision.
- Unexpected calls, texts, or emails claiming to be from Medicare asking for personal information. Medicare will not call you out of the blue asking to “verify” your Medicare number or Social Security number.
- A “free” genetic testing kit mailed to you unsolicited. This has been a specific, well-documented fraud pattern in recent years.
What Medicare Will Never Do
Medicare will never call you uninvited to sell you anything, ask for your Medicare number to “confirm” your identity over the phone, or threaten to cancel your benefits if you don’t act immediately. Any contact using these tactics is a red flag, regardless of how official it sounds.
How to Protect Yourself
Treat your Medicare number the way you’d treat a Social Security number or credit card number — don’t share it with anyone who contacts you unsolicited. Review your Medicare Summary Notice or EOB regularly rather than filing it away unread.
If You Suspect Fraud
Report suspected Medicare fraud to 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or the Senior Medicare Patrol in your state. Reporting a false alarm carries no penalty — it’s far better to report something that turns out to be legitimate than to stay quiet about something that isn’t.
Have questions? Schedule a free review with Kayla Price, a licensed insurance agent at Price Services Group. Call 866-648-1578 or visit priceservicesgroup.com/schedule.
Price Services Group, LLC is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. NPN: 18530055 | Agency NPN: 20387435