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Dear Toni:

I am concerned about a phone call I received yesterday from a representative with Medicare asking all types of personal questions and informing me that there was a new plastic Medicare card with a chip like a credit card. I told the caller what you said during your online Medicare webinar about not giving personal information over the phone.

I’m concerned that I could have made a mistake and that I have missed the new Medicare card. What should I do, or who should I call to see if Medicare is trying to contact me? Sometimes it is hard to know the right thing to do when it involves Medicare.

—Deidre

Hello Deidre: Don’t stress yourself out because there is NOT a new plastic Medicare card with a chip being issued! This is a Medicare scam that is targeting America’s Medicare population. Your Medicare card is still the same card you currently have.

Medicare and Social Security will NEVER call your home or office and ask for your personal or banking information.

Medicare already has all the information needed to verify that its agents are speaking with you when they call. If the government needs information from you, a letter would be sent from the specific government agency (such as Medicare), telling you what information is needed and how to contact them with any questions.

The most recent Medicare card update was in April 2019 to include a random identification number of numbers and letters. It no longer displays a Social Security number.

Taxpayers are losing over $100 billion a year to Medicare and Medicaid fraud, according to estimates from the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association. Fraud hurts Americans because when thieves steal from Medicare and Medicaid, less money is available for healthcare claims.

There is an organization called Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) that helps Medicare beneficiaries learn to detect fraud and abuse. To report Medicare fraud or abuse, call the SMP toll-free number, 1-877-808-2468, or visit the SMP website at smpresource.org to locate the closest SMP office in your state.

The SMP website discusses common Medicare Fraud Schemes such as telemedicine, genetic testing, hospice, Medicare card scams, and the list goes on.

Here are a few tips to help protect you against Medicare fraud:

— Have a safety script by the phone, and do not give out personal information to anyone who calls. Stick to the script no matter what! (Have someone help you write your script.)

— Never give your Medicare or Social Security number to strangers who call you on the phone or come to your door. Just like you tell your grandkids not to talk to strangers, you need not speak to these strangers either. Play the “Stranger Danger” game.

— Do not accept “free” offers in exchange for your Medicare number. Remember, there is nothing “free.” The fraudsters will have Medicare pay for whatever they are offering and will use your Medicare number to get it paid for.

My team members are instructed never to write a client’s Medicare number in our files. We also advise clients never to email us sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers or a picture of their new Medicare card.

Medicare/Medicaid fraud is exploding, and the only way to stop it is to let your friends know what I have just told you. We need to stand together and stop those who only want to make a fast dollar from Medicare and Medicaid and, most especially, from you.

Toni King is an author and columnist on Medicare and health insurance issues. She has spent nearly 30 years as a top sales leader in the field. If you have a Medicare question, email info@tonisays.com or call (832) 519-8664. The “Medicare Survival Guide” advanced edition and her new “Confused about Medicare” video series are available at ToniSays.com.

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