Government programs are often the target of criminal scammers and Medicare is one of the biggest ones. Thankfully, a nationwide network of Senior Medicare Patrol volunteers often sees these scams first and warn others.
Here are three scams they are seeing in 2024:
False billing for diabetes treatment has been seen on Medicare summary notices of people who don’t have diabetes and didn’t receive a related device. This is one example of how crooks charge Medicare for services not provided. To guard against this, check monthly Medicare statements carefully and report any false charges.
Free products are another common Medicare scam, however the product you receive – if you get anything at all – is usually cheap and inferior. Only share your Medicare number with your healthcare providers, and not with someone offering “free” products or services.
Lastly, free genetic testing is once again a trending Medicare scam. This often happens at health fairs where a scammer will offer a free genetic test that only requires a cheek swab and your Medicare number. Medicare rarely covers genetic testing, and this is just a ploy to get your Medicare number.
Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.