HealthChoice Medicare Supplement Plans
Protecting Your Personal Information from Identity Theft and Fraud

Personal information includes things such as your name and Social Security, Medicare, bank account, and credit card numbers. When your personal information is stolen and used to commit fraud or other crimes,  it is known as identity theft. To help protect you from identity theft, Medicare has developed the following rules regarding Medicare drug plans and the information you receive from them:

Know who you can trust. Only give out your personal information to someone you trust or to a doctor or supplier approved by Medicare. Examples include: 

• Trusted family and friends
• Senior centers and other local organizations that work with Medicare
• State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048 or visit www.medicare.gov to get the telephone number)
• The Medicare website at www.medicare.gov

If there is information missing from your application for extra help, someone from the Social Security Administration may contact you; however, they will only ask you for the information that is missing.
 

Always protect your Medicare number as you would your credit card information and unless you are sure the person you are talking to is working with Medicare, do not give out your personal information.  Know the rules about when someone can ask for your personal information. Medicare prescription drug plans can call you to tell you about the plans if you have not placed your telephone number on the FTC’s Do Not Call Registry.  Medicare prescription drug plans cannot:

• • Charge a fee to enroll in a plan
  • Send you unwanted emails
  • Ask for payment over the telephone or Internet; a bill must be sent
  • Enroll you in a prescription drug plan over the telephone unless you call them or you are adding prescription drug coverage to a Medicare Advantage Plan or other Medicare Plan you already have

If you think someone is misusing your personal information you can call: 

• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048
• The Fraud Hotline of the HHS Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-447-8477
• The Federal Trade Commission’s ID Theft hotline at 1-877-438-4338, TTY
  1-866-653-4261, to make a report

If your Medicare or Social Security card is lost or stolen, go to www.socialsecurity.gov or call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, TTY 1-800-325-0778. If you receive benefits from the Railroad Retirement Board, contact your local RRB office at 1-800-808-0772.  You can also visit the RRB website at www.rrb.gov.

For more information about protecting yourself from identity theft, go to www.consumer.gov/section/scams-and-identity-theft. 

Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services