FIGHT BACK!

Medical Identity Theft 

& Medicare Fraud

What Is Medical Identity Theft?

Medical identity theft occurs when someone 

steals your personal information (like your 

name, Social Security number, or Medicare 

number) to obtain medical care, buy drugs, 

or submit fake billings to Medicare in 

your name.

Medical identity theft can 

disrupt your life, damage 

your credit rating, and 

waste taxpayer dollars.

The damage can be 

life-threatening to you 

if wrong information 

ends up in your 

personal medical records.

OIG Office of Inspector General

Department of Health & Human Services

Office of Inspector General Hotline

Report suspected Medicare fraud:

Phone: 1-800-447-8477 (1-800-HHS-TIPS)

TTY: 1-800-377-4950 | FAX: 1-800-223-8164

E-mail: HHSTips@oig.hhs.gov

Online: OIG.HHS.gov/fraud/hotline

Medicare Call Center and SMPs

Report questionable charges to Medicare:

Phone: 1-800-633-4227 (1-800-MEDICARE)

TTY: 1-877-486-2048 | Online: medicare.gov

You can also contact your local SMP:

SMPs (formerly Senior Medicare Patrols) work locally 

to empower seniors to fight health care fraud and resolve errors.

Phone: 1-877-808-2468 | E-mail: info@smpresource.org

Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft Hotline

Report misuse of your personal information:

Phone: 1-877-438-4338 (1-877-ID-THEFT)

TTY: 1-866-653-4261 | Online: FTC.gov/idtheft

To learn more about medical identity theft visit:

www.WorldPrivacyForum.org/medicalidentitytheft.html
Tips to Avoid Medical ID Theft DETER DETECT DEFEND

DETER 

Protect Your Personal Information 

Guard your Medicare and Social Security Numbers. 

Treat them like you would treat your credit cards. 

Be suspicious of anyone who offers you free medical 

equipment or services and then requests your Medicare 

number. If it’s free, they don’t need your number! 

Do not let anyone borrow or pay to use your Medicare 

ID card or your identity. It’s illegal, and it’s not worth it! 

If your Medicare card is lost or stolen, report it right away. 

Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) 

for a replacement. 

DETECT 

Watch Out For These Common Fraud Schemes 

People who approach you in parking lots, shopping 

centers, or other public areas and offer free services, 

groceries, transportation, or other items in exchange 

for your Medicare number. Just walk away! 

People who call you claiming to be conducting a health 

survey and ask for your Medicare number. Simply hang 

up the phone! 

Telephone marketers who pretend to be from Medicare or 

Social Security and ask for payment over the phone or 

Internet. Don’t do it! They may want to steal your money. 

Check Your Medical Bills, Medicare Summary 

Notices, Explanation Of Benefits, and Credit Reports 

DEFEND 

Get help reading your Medicare Summary Notice at 

www.medicare.gov/basics/SummaryNotice.asp 

Get a free credit report each year by calling 1-877-322-8228 

Were you charged for any medical services or 

equipment that you didn’t get? 

Do the dates of services and charges look unfamiliar? 

Were you billed for the same thing twice? 

Does your credit report show any unpaid bills for 

medical services or equipment you didn’t receive? 

Have you received any collection notices for medical 

services or equipment you didn’t receive? 

Report Medicare Fraud and Medical Identity Theft 

If you spot unusual or questionable charges, contact 

your health care provider. It may just be a mistake. 

If your complaint is not resolved by your provider, 

report the questionable charges to Medicare. 

If you suspect Medicare fraud, contact the Department of 

Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General. 

If you think someone is misusing your personal 

information, contact the Federal Trade Commission. 

See back cover for contact information