Medicare Privacy, Fraud, Waste and Abuse

Take these three steps to keep yourself safe from identity theft:

• Don’t provide your personal information (e.g., your Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security numbers) to anyone except your doctor, health plan or Medicare approved provider. You can check if a provider is Medicare approved by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) (TTY users call 1-877-486-2048).
• Keep a personal health care journal or calendar to record your doctor visits, tests and procedures.
• Save and review your Medicare Summary Notices and Part D Explanation of Benefits.

Keep a watchful eye out for any doctors or health care providers who:

• Ask for your Medicare number in exchange for free equipment or services, or for “record keeping purposes.”
• Tell you that the more tests that are provided the cheaper they are.
• Advertise “free” consultations to people with Medicare.
• Call or visit you and say they represent Medicare or the federal government – Medicare will not call or visit your home.
• Use telephone or door-to-door selling techniques.
• Use pressure or scare tactics to sell you expensive medical services or diagnostic tests.

Monitor your billing statements and review your medical records for potential errors, such as:

• Charges for prescriptions or services you didn’t receive.
• Double billing for the same prescription or service.
• Ask your provider whenever you:
  • Don’t understand your billing statement.
  • Are not sure if you received a service that is listed.
  • Feel a service your provider is recommending is unnecessary.