Why You Should Worry About Medicare Cheats

If you think that Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse are just the government's problems, there are some facts you need to know. People who scam and cheat the Medicare system can cause serious personal consequences for beneficiaries: for example, Medicare scams, negative health impacts, and personal financial losses.

Medicare Scams

New Medicare cards were issued in 2018 in Delaware. It's possible that scam artists will take advantage of the change in Medicare cards to try to trick people. Remember that Medicare will never call you uninvited, asking you to give them personal or private information in order for you to obtain your new Medicare number and card. If someone calls, asking for your information or money or threatening to cancel your Medicare benefits unless you provide personal information, hang up.

Health Impact

Receiving health care from a fraudulent provider can mean the quality of the care is poor, the intervention is not medically necessary, or worse: the intervention is actually harmful. A beneficiary may later receive improper medical treatment from legitimate providers as a result of inaccurate medical records that contain:

• False diagnoses
• Records showing treatments that never occurred
• Misinformation about allergies
• Incorrect lab results

Additionally, because of inaccurate or fraudulent claims to Medicare, beneficiaries may be denied needed Medicare benefits. For example, some products and services have limits. If Medicare thinks such products and services were already provided, they will deny payment.

Personal Financial Losses

Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse can all result in higher out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries, such as copayments for health care services that were never provided, were excessive, or were medically unnecessary. Beneficiaries may also find themselves stuck with bills for services from providers who should have billed Medicare but instead billed the beneficiary for the entire cost of that service. Also, there may be legal consequences for beneficiaries who are complicit in fraud and abuse, since participating in schemes to defraud Medicare is illegal!

By learning how to PREVENT – DETECT – and REPORT Medicare fraud, waste and abuse, you not only help yourself, but everyone who depends on Medicare health insurance to be there when they need it. If you believe that your Medicare account, or someone's account that you care for, has been compromised, please contact the Delaware Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-800-223-9074.This is a FREE and confidential service!

Delaware Senior Medicare Patrol receives federal grant funding through the Administration for Community Living (ACL) and Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA). (Paid Advertisement)

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