Medicare & Healthcare Scams
6 minute read
Medical scams sound official because health care already sounds official. Slow it down.
Do these before the deep dive
- Do not give Medicare, insurance, Social Security, or banking numbers to an unexpected caller.
- Call the number on your card, bill, or patient portal.
- Ask your actual provider whether they ordered the equipment, test, or service.
- If identity information was shared, use IdentityTheft.gov.
Steal this sentence
I do not give medical or insurance numbers on unexpected calls. I will call the number on my card.
Healthcare scams borrow the language of real bureaucracy: benefits, coverage, eligibility, replacement cards, prior authorization, durable medical equipment.
That language can make a random caller sound legitimate. It should not make them trusted.
The Line To Hold
No unexpected caller gets your Medicare number, insurance number, Social Security number, banking details, or one-time code.
Not because every caller is fake. Because the safe path is easy: call back through a number you already trust.
Use the number on:
- Your insurance card.
- Your Medicare card or official Medicare account.
- Your provider portal.
- A bill or explanation of benefits.
- The provider’s official website.
The Usual Hook
The caller often offers something that sounds helpful:
- A free brace.
- A genetic test.
- A new Medicare card.
- A medical device.
- A refund.
- A benefit you are “about to lose.”
The word “free” does not make it safe. It may mean they want to bill your insurance fraudulently or collect identity information.
If You Shared Information
Call the real insurer, Medicare, or provider and ask them to note possible fraud on the account.
Review explanation-of-benefits statements for services, tests, or equipment you did not receive. If a Social Security number, Medicare number, or banking information was exposed, start an identity theft recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov.