TONI SAYS: Medicare scams are exploding

Published 1:00 pm Sunday, April 30, 2023

Toni:

I am very concerned about a phone call I received from a representative with Medicare asking all types of personal questions and informing me that there was a new plastic Medicare card with a chip like a credit card.

I told the caller what you said during your online Medicare webinar and for us to not give personal information over the phone.

I’m concerned that I could have made a mistake and that I have missed out on the new Medicare card. Would you please advise what I should do or who I should call to see if Medicare is trying to contact me? Sometimes it is hard to know what’s the right thing to do when it involves Medicare.

– Deidre from Houston

Deidre:

Don’t stress yourself out because there is not a new plastic Medicare card with a chip being issued!

This is a new Medicare scam that is targeting America’s Medicare population. Your Medicare card is still the same card you currently have.

Medicare and Social Security will never randomly call you and ask for your personal or banking information. Medicare already has all the information about you that it needs. If it ever does require additional information, Medicare will send a letter telling you what specific government agency you should contact to provide it.

As for the Medicare card, it was updated in 2018 to a random identifier that includes numbers and letters and no longer uses a Social Security number. There are no new updates planned at this time. In March, the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association reported that more than $100 billion a year is being swindled by fraudsters from the Medicare and Medicaid programs nationwide.

Fraud hurts America because when thieves steal from Medicare, there is less money available for health care needs.

An organization called Senior Medicare Patrol helps those on Medicare learn how to detect fraud and abuse. To report a possible instance of fraud or abuse, call the SMP nationwide toll-free number at (877) 808-2468 or visit the SMP website at www.smpresource.org to locate your nearest SMP office.

The SMP website discusses common Medicare fraud schemes involving COVID-19, genetic testing, hospice, Medicare card scams and the list goes on.

Here are a few tips to help protect you against Medicare fraud:

– Have a safety script by your phone. Tell anyone who calls asking you for personal information that you never give it out over the phone. (Get your kids or a friend to help you write your script.) Stick to the script no matter what!

– Never give your Medicare or Social Security number to strangers who call you on the phone, come to your door or text or email you. Just like you tell your grandkids not to talk to strangers, you need not talk to them either. Play the “Stranger Danger” game.

– Do not accept “free” offers in exchange for your Medicare number. Remember, there is nothing “free.” Those offers will be paid for by Medicare and they will use your Medicare number to do it.

The only way to stop this explosion of Medicare fraud is to let your friends know what I have just told you. We need to stand together and stop those scammers who only want to make a fast dollar from Medicare, from your bank/credit card accounts and most of all from you!

Toni King is an author and columnist on Medicare and health insurance issues. She spent nearly 30 years as a top sales leader in the field. If you have a Medicare question, email info@tonisays.com or call (832) 519-8664. You can now visit www.seniorresource.com/medicare-moments to listen to her Medicare Moments podcasts and get other information for boomers/seniors. The publisher of Toni’s book, “Medicare Survival Guide Advanced,” is now offering a $10 discount to Toni Says readers and friends at www.tonisays.com and www.seniorresource.com