The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have officially begun distributing new Medicare cards to North Carolina residents. To help eliminate fraud, the new cards will no longer have the beneficiary’s social security number; instead each card will have a unique Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number. Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina is issuing a warning to all Medicare beneficiaries and their caretakers of new scams associated with the cards.
“Between now and April 2019, Medicare recipients will begin receiving their new cards,” Mallory Wojciechowski, president and CEO of BBB, said. “Consumers should be on the lookout for unsolicited calls from individuals claiming to be from Medicare.”
Medicare fraud affects all of us. In 2017, an estimated $60 billion was lost to Medicare fraud and BBB received over 1,400 reports of healthcare/Medicare scams on BBB Scam Tracker. We can all take part in putting an end to Medicare fraud by recognizing signs of a scam and reporting it to Medicare.
How to Avoid Medicare Scams:
Know how the Medicare card switch works. Understand that Medicare isn’t calling consumers about the card switch. Also, the new Medicare cards are being mailed, at no cost, to the address you have on file with the Social Security Administration.
Never provide personal information to a stranger. Don’t share personal details with anyone who calls you unsolicited. Do not confirm or give out your full name, address, Social Security number or any other personal information.
When you get your new card, be sure to destroy your old card. Don’t just toss it in the trash. Shred it. If you have a separate Medicare Advantage card, keep that because you’ll still need it for treatment. Otherwise, remember that when you get your new card, your Medicare coverage and benefits will stay the same.
You cannot pay to upgrade your card. Hang up the phone on anyone who attempts to sell you an upgraded plastic card. All Medicare cards will be in paper form.
Guard your card. When you get your new card, safeguard it like you would any other health insurance or credit card. While removing the Social Security number cuts down on many types of identity theft, you’ll still want to protect your new card because identity thieves could use it to get medical services.
Report fraud. If someone asks you for your information, for money, or threatens to cancel your health benefits if you don’t share your personal information, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
For more information you can trust, visit bbb.org.
