This month’s Missouri SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) Fraud Fact is to remind you to
guard your Medicare card. The mailing of the new Medicare cards is finished, but that
doesn’t mean the scammers are done trying to steal your personal information. One way
that they do that is by calling your home with an offer for free lamination of your new
Medicare card. The scammers may ask you to send in your new card to have it laminated
or to give them your new Medicare number so that they can send you a laminated card.
While the offer might sound enticing, don’t do it. Medicare recommends that you do
not laminate your new Medicare card and certainly don’t pay someone else to do it. Make
sure you destroy your old Medicare card so that the information cannot be stolen from it.
Protect your Medicare number just like a credit card. Only give the new Medicare
number to doctors, pharmacists, other healthcare providers, insurers or people you trust to
work with Medicare on your behalf.
As always, report suspected Medicare fraud to the Missouri SMP at 1-888-515-6565.
This project is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), as part of a financial assistance award totaling $662,347 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS.
The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by
ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.