Stop Medicare Fraud
The Department of Justice and Health and Human Services have partnered to create the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT). The Team has created a website called Stop Medicare Fraud, which provides resources to help identify and protect against Medicare fraud and information on how to report it.
To protect against fraud
- Guard your Medicare and Social Security Numbers.
- Be suspicious of anyone who offers you free medical equipment or services and then requests your Medicare number.
- Do not let anyone borrow or pay to use your Medicare ID card or your identity.
Common Medicare fraud schemes include
- People who approach you in parking lots, shopping centers, or other public areas and offer free services, groceries, transportation, or other items in exchange for your Medicare number.
- People who call you claiming to be conducting a health survey and ask for your Medicare number.
- Telephone marketers who pretend to be from Medicare or Social Security and ask for payment over the phone or Internet.
If you suspect you have been the victim of a Medicare fraud scheme, contact the Office of Inspector General at 1-800-447-8477.