‘Plastic Medicare card’ scam is exploding

Editor’s Note: The previous version of this column stated that the most recent Medicare card update was in April of 2019. In fact, the rollout began in April 2018 and was completed 3 months of the scheduled completion date of April 2019.

Reader Alert: You may remember reading about this scam in the Toni Says column several months ago. Below is an email the Toni Says team received from a reader in Arizona just last week.

Toni,

I am concerned about a phone call I received from Medicare with my personal information which the agent was verifying. He told me that I would receive my new plastic Medicare card with a chip the next day. I’m concerned because it has been over a week, and I have not received the card yet.

I believe that I made a terrible mistake, because I verified my information and answered the questions he asked about me. What should I do or who I should call to see if Medicare is trying to contact me? Sometimes it is hard to know the right thing to do when it involves Medicare.

--Jeanette from Phoenix

Hello Jeanette:

This is a Medicare scam that is targeting America’s Medicare population. Your Medicare card is still the same card you currently have. There is NOT a new plastic Medicare card. Jeanette, you have become the victim of a scam.

The most recent Medicare card update began in 2018 and was completed before April 2019. The new card includes a random identification number (of numbers and letters) and no longer displays your Social Security number.

Medicare and Social Security will NEVER call your home or office and ask for your personal or banking information. Medicare already has all the information needed to verify they are speaking with you. If the government needed information from you, a letter would be sent from the specific government agency (such as Medicare), telling you what information is needed and how to contact them with any questions.

Jeanette, I would advise you to contact Social Security at (800) 772-1213 or go in person to your local Social Security office and tell Social Security that your personal information has been compromised. You will want to have an alert regarding your Social Security number to avoid a future problem.

According to estimates from the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, taxpayers are losing over $100 billion a year to Medicare and Medicaid fraud. There is an organization called Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) that helps those on Medicare learn how to detect fraud and abuse. To report Medicare fraud or abuse to SMP, call their toll-free number, (877) 808-2468 or visit the SMP website at www.smpresource.org to locate the closest SMP office in your state. The SMP website discusses common Medicare Fraud Schemes.

Here are a few tips to help protect you against Medicare fraud:

-- Do NOT accept “free” offers in exchange for your Medicare number. Remember, nothing is “free.” The fraudsters will have Medicare pay for whatever they are offering, and the fraudster will use your Medicare number to get it paid for!

-- Have a safety script by your phone and do not give out personal information to anyone who calls. Stick to the script no matter what! (Have someone help you write your script.)

-- Never give your Medicare or Social Security number to strangers who call you on the phone or come to your door. Just like you tell your grandkids not to talk to strangers, you need not talk to them either. Play the “Stranger Danger” game.

Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid fraud are exploding and the only way to stop this fraud is to let your friends know what I have just told you. We need to stand together and stop those who only want to make a fast dollar from these services and, most especially, from YOU!