The scammers want to get personal or financial information for identity theft or outright theft. To thwart a Medicare card scam, follow some basic precautions. Medicare never will call you uninvited to request personal or private information to get a new Medicare card and won’t charge you for a new card. If you receive a call claiming you need to pay a fee to get a new or upgraded Medicare card, it’s a scam. The previous Medicare cards used your Social Security number, and the new cards contain a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) number. Medicare doesn’t need to “verify” your information and never threatens to cancel benefits. Hang up immediately if you get an unsolicited call from someone who claims to be from Medicare and asks for personal information. Please don’t believe a caller is a Medicare employee simply because they know some information about you. Scammers will have done their homework. Call Kevin Leinum – your local Medicare Expert about what Medicare covers or how enrolling in a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plan can improve your coverage and reduce your out-of-pocket costs.
