A caller asks for your Medicare number. Is it real?

The problem

A call comes in from someone who says they are with Medicare, or with a health plan that works with Medicare. They may mention a new benefit, a refund or a problem with your coverage. Then they ask you to confirm your Medicare number so they can "check your file".

The request is the whole point. The FTC advises you not to share your Medicare number with anyone who contacts you unexpectedly. Medicare will not call or visit your home to sell you anything, and Medicare representatives only ask for information if you contact them first.

How it can happen

With a Medicare number, a scammer can bill for services or equipment you never received, which can lead to medical identity theft, loss of benefits and higher medical costs. The FTC gives examples of this kind of fraud: double billing for one treatment, charging for items you never received, fake Medicare drug plans, and requests to confirm a Medicare number that may then be used for hospice fraud.

Medicare.gov lists the red flags. They include unsolicited calls or home visits from someone claiming to be Medicare, offers of money or gifts for free medical care, and pressure to join a Medicare health or drug plan over the phone unless you called for help. It also warns about anyone other than your doctor or Medicare providers reviewing your medical records or recommending services.

Caller ID cannot be trusted, and a call may come from a number that looks local.

How to avoid it

1. Hang up. You do not owe the caller an explanation.
2. Guard the number. Medicare.gov says to share your Medicare card, Medicare number, Social Security card or Social Security number only with your doctor or people who should have it, such as insurers acting for you or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program.
3. Check by calling Medicare. Ring 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) yourself. Do not use a number the caller gave you.
4. Look at your statements. The FTC and Medicare.gov suggest comparing your calendar with your statements to be sure each service is real. A secure Medicare.gov account lets you check claims once they are processed.
5. Ask your provider. If a charge looks wrong, call your provider's office about it.
6. Report suspected fraud. Call 1-800-MEDICARE, report online at oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud, or contact your local Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-877-808-2468. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan or drug plan, Medicare.gov also lists I-MEDIC at 1-877-772-3379.
7. Report other scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and report medical identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov to receive a recovery plan.

If you have already given a number to someone, tell your provider or plan if someone used the information to get medical care, and keep an eye on your statements. Our guide to checking a government call gives a general routine, and the Social Security call uses a similar script with a different agency name.

Things to watch

• A call, text or visit from someone who says they are from Medicare when you did not ask.
• An offer of free equipment, tests or braces.
• A request to confirm your Medicare number or Social Security number.
• Pressure to enrol in a plan during the call.
• Statements that list services you did not receive.
• Someone who offers gifts or money for medical care.

Fraud costs a great deal across the system, and the FTC puts it at about 60 billion dollars a year for fraud, abuse and errors together. You do not need to carry that worry. A few steps protect your own number.