Durable Medical Equipment Fraud

Signs of a medical equipment scam

If you experience any of these red flags, be cautious — someone may be trying to scam you.

Unsolicited calls. You receive an unsolicited call or other communication offering a free or low-cost medical device as a Medicare “benefit.”

Requests for personal information. Someone claiming to be from Medicare asks for your Medicare or Social Security number to send you medical equipment. Medicare representatives don’t call unless a consumer has contacted Medicare and requested help or information, Stone says.

Flimsy equipment. You order medical equipment, then you receive an inferior product while Medicare is billed for a more expensive version.

Equipment you didn’t request. You receive a box of medical equipment you never ordered, which the supplier charges Medicare for.

Unfamiliar charges on your Medicare claims notice. Medicare is billed for medical equipment you never ordered or received, and you’d have no idea unless you reviewed your Medicare claims notice.

How to protect yourself

Hang up on unsolicited calls offering you a medical device that will be billed to Medicare. Stone says Medicare representatives never make unsolicited calls to consumers.

Call the number you know. If a caller claiming to be from your doctor’s office asks for your Medicare card number, hang up and call back on a number you know to be associated with your doctor.

Use caution when sharing your Medicare number. Don’t share your number with a supplier or others if they request it at a presentation or during a call. Share your Medicare or insurance number only with trusted health care providers, not strangers.

Carefully review your Medicare claims notices. If you have original Medicare, you’ll receive a Medicare summary notice every quarter outlining the claims made for your number. There is a separate MSN for medical equipment. Watch out for charges for items you never ordered or received, or charges that seem unrealistically high. You can go to your online Medicare account to sign up for monthly electronic statements or to see current claims within 24 hours after they are filed.

If you have a private Medicare Advantage plan, Medigap or other supplemental coverage, you’ll receive an explanation of benefits showing your claims.

Avoid ordering over the phone. Don’t order durable medical equipment over the phone unless advised to do so by your physician. “If you have a legitimate medical need, your doctor should be recommending it,” Stone says.

Refuse delivery. Don’t accept delivery of medical equipment unless it was ordered by your doctor.

What to do if you’ve been targeted

If you suspect a medical equipment scam, report it to Medicare at 800-633-4227 and your state’s Senior Medicare Patrol at 877-808-2468. SMP volunteers can answer questions about suspicious charges and potential scams and help you report fraud to Medicare and the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, which investigates Medicare fraud. You can contact the OIG hotline at 800-447-8477 or file a complaint online.

Report scams to the FBI’s Internet Criminal Complaint Center (IC3).

You may not be charged for equipment if you have Medicare and a supplemental policy, such as Medigap or retiree coverage. If you do receive a bill that seems suspicious, contact your bank to let it know and ask if it is able to stop payment on any money sent to scammers.

For support and guidance, trained specialists at the free AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline, 877-908-3360, can share information on what to do next and how to avoid scams. The AARP Fraud Watch Network also offers online group support sessions.

More Resources

For more information, see the Senior Medicare Patrol resource center’s durable medical equipment fraud alert, which has tips for how to avoid, detect and report this type of scam, and updates about recent cases.