Protection Against Medicare Scams: What You Need to Know

You might’ve noticed more scam calls lately—unfortunately, it’s a growing problem. Scammers are getting clever, pretending to be from healthcare providers or even Medicare itself.

They might offer you “free” medical equipment or services, but what they’re really after is your personal information. The good news? There are some clear red flags to watch for, and a few simple steps you can take to protect yourself.

At Hoag, we want to make sure you know what to expect from a real call from us — and how to spot a fake one.

Common Warning Signs of a Medicare Scam

1. Unsolicited Offers for Free Services or Equipment
   • Scammers often offer “free” medical supplies or services in exchange for your Medicare number. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
   • Scammers often use the phone, but they might also make contact by email, text message or U.S. mail.
2. Requests for Your Full Social Security Number
   • Legitimate healthcare providers will never ask for your full SSN over the phone. This is a red flag.
3. Pressure to Act Immediately
   • Scammers may create a sense of urgency, claiming your benefits are at risk unless you act now. Don’t fall for it—take your time to verify.
4. Caller Refuses to Provide Contact Information
   • If the caller won’t give you a callback number or identify their department, hang up.
5. Suspicious Caller ID or Spoofed Numbers
   • Scammers can fake caller ID to make it look like they’re calling from a trusted source. Always verify independently.

What You Can Expect from a Legitimate Hoag contact

1. By phone, we will always identify ourselves by name and the department we’re calling from.
2. We may ask for limited personal information (like your date of birth or address) to confirm your identity.
3. We will never ask for your full Social Security number or any passwords.

What You Can Do to Stay Safe

1. Hang up the phone and call back using the number listed on our official website or your appointment reminder.
2. Ask for the caller’s name and department, then verify by calling Hoag directly.
3. Do not accept unsolicited offers for free items or services.
4. Use call-blocking features or apps to reduce unwanted calls.
5. Exercise digital caution: Don’t click on suspicious links in emails or respond to unknown emails or text messages.
6. Report suspicious activity to Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE or visit Medicare.gov.

Spread the Word

Scammers often target older adults, so please share this information with your loved ones. A few minutes of awareness can prevent a lot of trouble.