Spotting Medicare Fraud
Posted by catherine jacobs on Mon, Jun 28, 2010 @ 10:49 AM
Six Ways to Spot Medicare Fraud:
1. No Medicare drug plan can ask you for your bank account or other personal information. There is no fee to enroll in a plan.
2. No one can come into your home uninvited. Be suspicious of ANY home sales.
3. No one can ask you for your personal information during their marketing activities.
4. Medicare Part D plan representatives are allowed to call to tell you about their Medicare drug plans. They may not call to sign you up unless you have called them.
5. If someone calls to tell you about a plan, ask for the name of his or her company. Then call Medicare (1800-633-4227) to see if the company is approved by Medicare.
6. If you suspect fraud, report it. Call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227 or the US Department of Health and Human Services Fraud Hotline at 1-800-447-8477 or the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-382-4357. In Michigan, you can also contact Michigan's Medicare Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP) at 1-800-803-7174 or the Michigan Attorney General's Office-Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-765-8388.
Note: The Legal Hotline for Michigan Seniors is also available to Michigan residents age 60 and over, free of charge, to assist them with questions about Medicare and other legal issues. The Hotline can be accessed Monday through Thursday at 1-800-347-5297. Attorneys at the Hotline have knowledge and resources to assist clients with a variety of legal issues.