Fraud Prevention Fact November 2025

A FRIENDLY REMINDER: READ YOUR MEDICARE MAIL

Medicare fraud and abuse costs taxpayers billions of dollars every year. By consistently checking your healthcare statements, you can help catch mistakes and stop dishonest billing.

What to Look For:

Every 3 months, depending on whether you have Medicare or an Advantage plan, you should receive a Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) or an Explanation of Benefits (EOB). These notices list:

1. Medical services and supplies you received
2. What was billed to Medicare or your plan
3. What was paid
4. What you might still owe

You’ll only get these papers if you had medical visits or services during the past 3 months.

Why It’s Important:

Reading these notices can help you:

• Make sure you received the services listed
• Spot any billing mistakes
• Catch signs of possible fraud

For example, if you see a charge for a test you don’t remember …don’t ignore it! Start by calling the doctor or provider to ask about it. Sometimes it’s a simple mistake or something you didn’t realize was part of your care. If that doesn’t solve it or you’re still uneasy, call the Missouri SMP at 888-515-6565.

Keep Track of Your Care:

The Missouri SMP also offers a free My Health Care Tracker. It’s a booklet use to write down:

• Your appointments
• Tests & Medications
• Notes about your care

There is also a digital version of My Health Care Tracker in the new SMP Medicare Tracker App. You can it in the App Store or Google Play on your smart phones or tablets.

The Missouri SMP is here to provide you with information you need to protect, detect, and report potential Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse. If you think you or a loved one has been a target of a Medicare scam, call the Missouri SMP at 888-515-6565.

This project was supported, in part, by the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $638,014 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government