Prevent Fraud

Protect yourself from errors, fraud, and abuse

Protecting your personal information is the best line of defense in the fight against health care fraud and abuse. Medicare and Medicaid lose billions of dollars each year to scam artists. You can make a difference.

Protect your health care benefits

• Don’t give your Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security numbers to strangers.
• Remember that Medicare does not call or visit to sell you anything.
• Keep records of your doctor visits, tests, and procedures in your personal health care journal (PDF - 1.8 MB) or calendar.
• Save your Medicare Summary Notices and Part D Explanation of Benefits.
• Learn to protect yourself against identity theft.
• Read Medicare’s lists of Do’s and Don’ts to prevent fraud.

Detect potential errors, fraud, and abuse

Even if you do everything right, there is a chance you could be a target of health care fraud. Keep a close eye on your medical records to quickly detect issues.

• Review your Medicare Summary Notices and Part D Explanation of Benefits for mistakes. You can access your Medicare account 24 hours a day at www.MyMedicare.gov.
• Compare your Medicare Summary Notices and Part D Explanation of Benefits to your personal health care journal (PDF – 1.8 MB) and prescription drug receipts to make sure they are correct.
• Look for three things on your billing statement:
  • Charges for something you didn’t get
  • Billing for the same thing twice
  • Services that were not ordered by your doctor
• Ask questions. Ask your provider whenever you:
  • Don’t understand your bill
  • Don’t think you received a service listed
  • Feel the service was unnecessary

Learn more about examples of Medicare fraud schemes from the Office of the Inspector General. 

Use our fraud-fighting toolkit to find brochures, posters, ads, and public service announcements to share with others to help spread the word.

If you suspect errors, fraud, or abuse—report it.