The Ego, The Market, and The Mania

From the Denver District Attorney’s Office:

As if worrying about frauds in later life isn’t enough, Medicare beneficiaries must also be concerned about medical ID theft and Medicare fraud. According to recent complaints received by the Colorado Division of Insurance, this phone number,1- 866-234-2255 is implicated in a national scam presently operating in Colorado.  In this scam, the caller requests the bank account and Medicare ID numbers of the Medicare beneficiary.  If the beneficiary doesn’t comply, the caller threatens to withhold the beneficiary’s Medicare card.

Typically, medical “identities” are stolen by thieves for the purpose of receiving medical care, or obtaining medications to feed a drug addiction.   As is true in many cases of identity theft, victims can end up with damaged credit ratings if they are unaware their medical ID has been stolen.   Medical ID theft may also result in medical misinformation being placed in the victim’s medical file, which could be life threatening.

In the case of Medicare fraud, a caller may try to scam Medicare by billing for allowable expenses, such as Durable Medical Equipment (DME).  Under Medicare policies, DME suppliers are not allowed to “cold call” consumers for such orders.

Protect Yourself

• If you receive a suspicious call, check the number on your caller ID, and call the Office of Inspector General at 1-800-447-8477, or http://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/hotline
• Never give out Medicare, credit card, bank account or SS Numbers to strangers
• Save Medicare Summary Notices and Part D Explanation of Benefits
• ALWAYS review your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) for accuracy
• If your Medicare card is lost or stolen, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213