Guard your Medicare number like a credit card
Your Medicare number is sensitive information and just as valuable as a bank account number. Scam artists try to use your Medicare number for fraudulent billing!
The Missouri Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) strongly advises that you be smart about sharing your Medicare number. Don’t share your number with anyone except health care providers, insurance companies or health plans (and their licensed agents or brokers). You can also safely share it with people who work directly with Medicare, like the Missouri SMP.
Please note that Medicare will never call beneficiaries to ask for their number. Remember, Medicare already has your number in its system; Medicare will not call to “check” on your number. If you need an official replacement card, print one at Medicare.gov, or call 1-800-MEDICARE.
Here are some easy tips and best practices for proper Medicare card management:
- Do NOT laminate your Medicare card.
- Do NOT make copies of your Medicare card.
- Don’t pay someone else to make copies of your Medicare card, either!
- Don’t sell your Medicare number.
- NEVER give your Medicare number to someone who calls to tell you that new “plastic chip cards” are available. Medicare is NOT replacing your paper ID card with a plastic card.
This fraud prevention information is brought to you by Missouri SMP. Our mission is to empower and assist Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers to prevent, detect and report healthcare fraud, errors, and abuse. Get more information on our website at https://www.missourismp.org.
Call (888) 515-6565 to report suspected Medicare or Medicaid fraud, errors, or abuse.
This project was supported, in part, by grant number 90MPPG0040, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy.