Message 13 of 15
Phone call“Our records show you are eligible for a back brace and a knee brace at no cost to you. Your doctor has already approved it. I only need your Medicare number to ship them today.”
You have never discussed a brace with your doctor. Legitimate, a scam, or impossible to tell?
Correct. Not quite. Unrequested medical equipment is one of the longest-running Medicare frauds. The caller bills Medicare hundreds or thousands of dollars for braces you did not need, and the claim sits on your record. That can cause a real problem later: if you do need a brace, Medicare may refuse it because its records show you already received one. If a box arrives that you did not order, refuse delivery or keep it unopened, and report it to 1-800-MEDICARE.
More: A Medical Bill Arrived for Something You Never Remember Getting. Don’t Ignore It.