AG issues Medicare fraud alert

A scammer claiming to be from "Healthsource" is reportedly preying on senior citizens throughout Rhode Island

Posted 4/6/17

After receiving multiple reports of a scammer preying on senior citizens in Rhode Island, Attorney General Peter Kilmartin has issued a statewide Medicare fraud alert.

Medicare patients have …

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AG issues Medicare fraud alert

A scammer claiming to be from "Healthsource" is reportedly preying on senior citizens throughout Rhode Island

Posted

After receiving multiple reports of a scammer preying on senior citizens in Rhode Island, Attorney General Peter Kilmartin has issued a statewide Medicare fraud alert.

Medicare patients have reportedly been receiving phone calls from someone claiming to be a representative of "HealthSource" requesting personal information including patients’ Medicare numbers. The attorney general's office is warning Rhode Islanders that these phone calls are a scam and to remind consumers not to provide Medicare ID information to anyone over the telephone.

A man has called Medicare enrollees from a number with a 401 area code claiming to represent HealthSource RI. The agency never contacts customers via telephone to ask for such information, according to the attorney general. 

“Medicare scams and fraud cost billions every year.  Access to a person’s Medicare ID number is akin to printing money,”  Mr. Kilmartin said in a release. “With that number, individuals can set up fake businesses to bill Medicare for health-related items that are never provided to the Medicare subscriber. Keeping your Medicare number safe and secure is as critically important as it is to keep your social security number and financial information safe and secure.” 

The attorney general’s office advises anyone receiving such a call to immediately hang up. If someone leaves a voicemail claiming to be from HealthSource, don’t call the phone number they leave on the message.

Other tips the Attorney General offers include:

  • 
Never give out your Medicare ID number to anyone on the telephone.
  • Check you Medicare statements regularly and report suspicious services or products to the Medicare Office of the Inspector General, 800-447-8477.
  • Alert the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Unit so they can share the information with others. The Consumer Protection Unit can be reached by calling 401-274-4400.
Medicare fraud, RI Attorney General

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