Tips to keep yourself safe from durable medical equipment scams
Our health is important and sometimes you need durable medical equipment (DME) to stay healthy, such as wheelchairs, walkers, braces and other devices. Unfortunately, scammers also know how important DME can be, as well as how costly it is. They prey on this need to make themselves money. Medicare spends over $6 billion a year on DME. That number is very enticing to a scammer.
These scams often start by a scammer reaching out offering equipment, which they claim will be totally paid for by Medicare. These scammers often claim to be Medicare representatives or makers of DME. Sometimes these scammers reach out to you over and over again until you allow them to submit an order on your behalf. In some cases, you may say no, but then they send the DME anyway. Bottom line is these scammers are trying to get your Medicare or Social Security number to steal your identity and file false Medicare claims.
Better Business Bureau offers these tips to avoid these scams:
■ Contact your doctor if you believe you’re in need of any DME or supplies. In addition, don’t let anyone except your physician’s office handle your Medicare card. If anyone other than your physician’s office requests you to provide your Medicare information, don’t provide it.
■ Be wary of any unsolicited callers offering you low-cost medical devices as a Medicare benefit even if they say your doctor asked them to call. By law, no one is allowed to make unsolicited calls to consumers about DME. If you get such a call, just hang up. If it’s a postcard or email, discard it. Turn off or disregard TV or Internet ads offering free equipment.
■ Protect your Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security cards and numbers. Don’t give them to unfamiliar people and companies.
■ Read your Medicare Summary Notices or Explanation of Benefits from your insurance company. Be sure there is no equipment listed you do not need and/or did not receive. Contact Medicare or your insurance if you see claims for supplies you haven’t requested or don’t recognize.
■ Look out for suppliers delivering you an off-the-shelf product, but billing your insurance for a more expensive product.
These scammers impact us all as taxpayers. These scammers are billing Medicare and insurance company to pay for it. Plus, when you apply for this equipment in the future when you really need it, you may be denied because they’ll say they covered it years ago.