With the next Medicare Open Enrollment season coming up (October 15 to December 7), fraudsters and identity thieves are preparing to pounce. These criminals double down their efforts to access and abuse Medicare numbers of innocent people. That is why it is incredibly important to guard your Medicare number and prevent it from getting into the wrong hands.
Fight health care fraud with the help of these tips:
- Keep your Medicare number safe. Don’t share it with anyone who contacts you by phone, email, or visits you at your home, unless you’ve given them permission in advance. Medicare will never contact you for your Medicare number or other personal information.
- Don’t let anyone ever borrow or pay to use your Medicare number.
- When looking to enroll in a Medicare plan, be suspicious of anyone who pressures you to act now for the best deal. Remember that there are no “early bird discounts” or “limited time offers.”
- If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Review your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) which gives you information on services submitted under your Medicare number. Make sure you and Medicare are only being charged for services you actually received. You will be able to see a claim within 24 hours after Medicare processes it.
For more information on guarding your Medicare number, take a look at this short clip. For all of your personal and commercial insurance needs, contact the team at Unisource Insurance Associates.