The New York StateWide Senior Action Council’s “Medicare Fraud of the Month for February”

ALBANY, N.Y., Feb. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The New York StateWide Senior Action Council (StateWide), an organization dedicated to advocacy for the rights of seniors in New York State, today announced its Medicare Fraud of the Month for February: New Medicare Card Scams.

The StateWide Fraud of the Month is a component of the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), the definitive resource for New York State’s senior citizens and caregivers to detect, prevent, and report healthcare fraud, errors, and abuse. StateWide is New York’s grantee/administrator for this Federal Program.

“Every new year, scammers target Medicare beneficiaries with fraudulent schemes involving their Medicare cards. It is important to remember that Medicare is not issuing new cards this year or any year. Don’t let scammers trick you,” stated Maria Alvarez, Executive Director of StateWide.

Alvarez warned of potential new Medicare Card fraud schemes to watch out for:

• Be cautious of calls claiming to be from Medicare asking for the name of doctors, your medical condition, diagnoses, or medications. Scammers often use this tactic to make their schemes seem legitimate.
• Medicare cards do not expire. Scammers may say you need a new card for the new year—don’t fall for it.
• Beware of offers for special Medicare cards made of plastic, metal, or with a “special chip.”
  • Medicare only issues standard paper cards, they do not need to be replaced or upgraded to access benefits.

How to Protect Against These Scams

• Protect Yourself: Verify unknown or suspicious callers – If you’re unsure if a call is legitimate, hang up and call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE or the NY SMP Fraud Helpline.
• Don’t trust any phone number provided by the caller.
• Don’t engage – If any unexpected calls, texts, or emails asking for personal information, are received, hang up or delete the message immediately. Do not provide any personal details.
• Guard the Card: Treat Medicare and Social Security numbers like a credit card – keep them private and secure.
• If Medicare fraud is suspected, report it to the NYS Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) by calling its Helpline at 800-333-4374

“We have trained counselors to help educate Medicare beneficiaries in the fight against health care fraud. To report Medicare fraud, errors or abuse you can call our NYS Medicare Fraud Helpline at 800-333-4374 or visit www.nysenior.org,” Alvarez concluded.

StateWide also provides information and educational presentations, assistance regarding any Medicare questions, plan comparisons, appeals, billing issues and patients’ rights to all seniors throughout New York State.

It is estimated that Medicare fraud costs taxpayers over $60 billion dollars nationally per year. To help combat this illicit industry StateWide announced its Fraud of the Month program in 2022 to highlight these scams being perpetrated on the State’s seniors.

This project was supported, in part by grant number 90MPPG01701, by the U.S. Administration for Community Living,

SOURCE New York StateWide Senior Action Council, Inc.