2. Medicare and Health Insurance Fraud

Healthcare confusion provides fertile ground for scammers, particularly during the Annual Enrollment Period. Criminals frequently call older adults posing as Medicare representatives, claiming they need to issue a new laminated Medicare card, update your file, or offer free genetic testing and back braces.

The ultimate goal is to steal your Medicare number. Once they have this identifier, they bill the government for thousands of dollars in fraudulent services under your name. This not only drains taxpayer resources but can also compromise your medical records, potentially leaving you responsible for denied claims when you actually need legitimate medical care.

Official representatives will almost never call you unprompted. If you have questions about your coverage or suspect someone is misusing your information, you should go directly to the official Medicare.gov website or call 1-800-MEDICARE. Review your Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs) meticulously to ensure you recognize every service billed to your account.