Medical identity theft is when someone fraudulently gets and uses your personal and medical information for treatment, equipment, or prescriptions. Every time a scammer uses your information, a record is created with incorrect medical information about you. This could affect future care you’re able or unable to get. Medical identity theft can also impact your finances. Scammers won’t pay for fraudulent services they billed to Medicare with your information. This may leave you with unpaid bills or medical debt that can affect your credit.
Let’s discuss how you can prevent, detect, and report medical identity theft.
First, protect yourself from medical identity theft:
- Be careful about who you give your personal information to. This includes your Medicare number, Social Security number, credit card numbers, and driver’s license number.
- Never give out your Medicare number to anyone who contacts you through unexpected or unknown calls, texts, or emails. Remember that Medicare and Social Security will never reach out to you to ask for your personal information.
- Keep documents that contain your medical information somewhere safe. This includes your health insurance card, insurance enrollment forms, prescription bottles, and billing statements. If you want to get rid of these things, shred them or wait for a local shred day. Before throwing out prescriptions, use a marker to cross out any personal information on the bottle.
- Look out for common fraud schemes used to steal personal information. These include scams offering “free” COVID-19 tests, back or knee braces that you didn’t ask for, genetic testing or cancer screening kits, and new Medicare card scams.
Identify the signs of medical identity theft.
If someone steals and uses your medical information, be on the lookout for:
- Charges and providers on your Medicare statements for services, equipment, or medications you didn’t receive.
- Shipments of back or knee braces, testing kits, or other medical supplies in the email that you didn’t request.
- Contact from a debt collection company for a provider bill you don’t owe.
- Medicare and/or your Medicare Advantage (MA plan denies or limits your coverage or benefits because of a medical condition you do not have or says you already received a product or service when you did not.
Report medical identity theft.
If you believe someone has stolen and is using your medical information, contact your local Senior Medicare Patrol, or SMP. Find your local Senior Medicare Patrol using the online SMP Locator or by calling 877-808-2468.
Your SMP will encourage you to:
- Review your Medicare statements for any additional concerns.
- Get copies of medical records from providers the scammer may have used. Explain the situation to your health care providers and request that they send you your records.
- Report errors. Report any mistakes you find in your medical records to your health care providers and your compromised number to Medicare, 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227) or your MA plan.
- Review your credit reports. Visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com or call 877-322-8228 to get your free credit report. Look for medical billing errors. This includes medical debt collection notices that you don’t recognize.
- If you gave out your Social Security number, report it to Social Security and make a recovery plan using the Federal Trade Commission’s tips at www.IdentityTheft.org.
Still have questions?
Your SHIP is here for you! You can contact your SHIP for any Medicare-related questions or concerns you have. SHIP counselors are government funded to provide trusted, unbiased Medicare counseling at no cost to you. (Depending on your state, your SHIP may go by another name.) Use our online SHIP Locator or call 877-839-2675 (and say “Medicare” when prompted) to find your local SHIP.
If you think you have experienced potential Medicare fraud, errors, or abuse contact your local Senior Medicare Patrol using the online SMP Locator or by calling 877-808-2468.