Do not give medical info to unknown caller; Covering; The Bases

I have been inundated with calls about free back braces from Medicare. Yes, there are times my back aches but I am not comfortable giving my Medicare and health information to an unknown caller. Who knows if the brace will really fit me properly? I trust my physician and discussed the topic with her. It is her medical opinion (an opinion I trust) that I do not require a back brace and I should ignore the callers.

You describe a Medicare scam that is rampant. Unscrupulous medical equipment suppliers are cold-calling Medicare recipients trying to steal personal medical information.

Once a person reveals this information, back brace and other braces are delivered to their home. As you suspect, the braces are often ill-fitting and inappropriate.

In one case, a man in the Midwest provided his Medicare number to a caller. He received not only an ill-fitting back brace but wrist braces, knee braces and a shoulder brace. Medicare was billed over $5,000.

The ordering physician never examined the man. In fact, the ordering physician's office was thousands of miles away. The man had to spend hours working with Medicare to report this activity and clear his records.

If he had not done so, Medicare would have, on file, that he had been issued all the items. If, in the future, he legitimately required such braces, Medicare would have denied any legitimate claims.

Your advice is spot-on: Do not provide any personal information over the phone to an unknown caller. Your healthcare decisions need to be made between you and your trusted healthcare provider, not someone cold-calling your home.

If you find yourself a victim of Medicare fraud, please call your local Senior Medicare Patrol at 410-222-4257. Specially trained counselors can advise you on how to report such issues to Medicare.

I attended a health fair last weekend. There was an organization providing "free" genetic testing to determine my risks of disease. All I needed to provide was my Medicare number and a saliva sample. I have seen these tests advertised on TV for a substantial cost. While I was tempted to be tested, I was concerned what would happen to my genetic and Medicare information. What are your thoughts?

While Medicare does cover certain genetic testing, this testing must be compliant with federal rules. Basically, your treating physician must determine a test is medically-necessary and your physician is involved in the management of the specific medical issue.

The risks of allowing an unscrupulous organization of having access to (1) your genetic information; and (2) your Medicare information far outweigh a "free" test. Your physician is the best source of medical advice to determine if genetic testing would be appropriate.

Amy Rubino is the director of the Senior Health Insurance Assistance Program and the Senior Medicare Patrol for the Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities. You may contact either program at 410-222-4257 or [email protected].

Credit: Amy Rubino - Amy Rubino is the director of the Senior Health Insurance Assistance Program and the Senior Medicare Patrol for the Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities. You may contact either program at 410-222-4257 or [email protected].