Medicare Fraud and Scams: What to Do If You Suspect Foul Play
Medicare fraud has the ability to hurt a lot of people in so many different ways, including high costs and taxes, but also not receiving necessary treatment or services because the people pulling your leg are criminals.
Hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars are at risk each year, but defense against Medicare fraud starts with the patients and families.
The absolute, most important thing to do is read the Medicare Summary Notice, or MSN, word by word in order to make sure you are not being short changed or not. If you are not sure about a certain section of the statement or do not know what you need then a doctor will be able to help you.
If you don’t get an answer that’s satisfactory, you can call the company that paid the Medicare claim. Their contact information is always listed on the MSN, and they want to help you in preventing Medicare scams. If you think somebody committed Medicare fraud, but you don’t have your MSN, just call this hotline: 1-800-447-8477.
Being a smart customer also stops Medicare fraud from happening in the first place. For instance, if a provider claims they’re endorsed by the government or by Medicare, be suspicious, especially if they say they represent Medicare or contact you door-to-door or by telemarketing.
Giving your Medicare Health Insurance Claim Number or Medicare card to a provider who claims that Medicare doesnt usually cover this, but we know how to get them to pay for it is asking for trouble, as is dealing with providers who claim that Medicare wants you to have this. Medicare is an insurance company, and no insurance program ever chooses to pay more than is absolutely required.
Also, stay wary of any company that wants to help you for free that just wants your Medicare number. Just because they say it is free does not mean that they cannot bill you for something you didn’t agree to buy.
Medicare fraud continues to be a problem, but you can help prevent it. Find out more about Medicare scams and fraud at Medicare.gov
Thank you for reading this article. Another related article on the subject: Report Medicare Fraud. For more info on medicare health benefits, please visit http://medicare-benefits.com