Protect yourself by protecting your Medicare card!  

The next Medicare Open Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) is coming fast, which means con artists may try to steal your identity and commit Medicare fraud. Medicare has taken actions to make Medicare cards safer by replacing Social Security Numbers with more secure ID numbers. But even with those efforts, fraudsters may still try to take advantage of you during Open Enrollment. 

Medicare fraud results in higher health care costs for taxpayers just like you. That’s why it’s so important to know how to protect your Medicare card and Number.

What can you do to protect yourself and prevent Medicare fraud?

The most important thing you can do is guard your Medicare card like it’s a credit card. Don’t give your Medicare card or Number to anyone except your doctor or people you know should have it.

You can also:

• Keep your Medicare Number to yourself. If you get a call from people promising you things if you give them your Medicare Number — don’t do it. This is a common Medicare scam.
• Refuse any offer of money or gifts for free medical care. A common ploy of identity thieves is to say they can send you your free gift right away — they just need your Medicare Number.
• Use a calendar to record all of your doctors’ appointments and any tests you get. When you check your Medicare statements, look out for any items and services listed and other details that don’t look correct. If you see a charge or service that you think is incorrect and you know the provider, call their office and ask about it.
• Learn how a Medicare plan works before you join.
• Stay alert for fraud during the coronavirus disease 2019 (or COVID-19) national emergency. Con artists like to take advantage of people when they’re distracted.

Committing Medicare fraud is illegal & you should report it

If you suspect fraud, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048. If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare drug plan, call the Medicare Drug Integrity Contractor (MEDIC) at 1-877-7SAFERX (1-877-772-3379).

Learn how to protect yourself from health care fraud. Visit Medicare.gov/fraud for more information on how to help fight Medicare fraud.

It’s more important than ever to be able to compare location, quality, and price information for health care providers. That’s why we’ve launched Care Compare on Medicare.gov to make it easier to find and understand information about doctors, hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care services. 

Care Compare standardizes our 8 original compare sites, giving you one place to start finding the care you need. New features let you filter on the items that are most important to you, so you can personalize your results. A clean and uniform design makes your results list easier than ever to review and compare health care providers, even on your tablet or smartphone.

What can Care Compare do for me?

With Care Compare, you can:

• Get quality data by health care provider type. 
• Find hospitals closest to you.
• Find a doctor near you that accepts Medicare.
• Compare quality ratings for local nursing homes.
• View hospice and home health agency quality care ratings.
• Search for dialysis facilities.
• Get contact information for local inpatient rehabilitation centers or long-term care hospitals.

Take a look at Care Compare. Have ideas to help us make it even better? Take our survey on Medicare.gov to give us your feedback.

Modernizing the way you find and compare information about health care providers and services builds on previous eMedicare initiative efforts. To stay up-to-date on eMedicare improvements and other important news from Medicare, sign up for our email list and follow us on Facebook.

WASHINGTON—AARP The Magazine (ATM) is thrilled to launch “AARP The Magazine Presents,” a new live video-streaming series that brings the nation’s most-read magazine to life with special celebrity interviews, interactive Q&A’s and helpful tips on health, finance, lifestyle, travel and more.

HGTV hosts and lifestyle experts, Drew and Jonathan Scott, will kick off the first of this occasional series with their best stuck-at-home renovation advice, complete with an interactive Q&A, on Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. ET. Now that everyone is cooped up during the pandemic, home renovations could be on the rise, and many are wondering where and how to start. Former world boxing champion turned lifestyle TV personality Laila Ali will be the guest moderator.

According to AARP’s 2018 Home and Community Preferences survey, 3 out of 4 adults age 50 and older want to stay in their homes and communities as they age. Whatever changes older adults are considering making to their homes as they age, the brothers can help people 50+ make choices that are right for their budget and unlock the full potential of their homes. 

On Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. ET, Drew and Jonathan, stars of HGTV’s “Property Brothers: Forever Home” and “Brother vs. Brother,” will answer questions and give advice on:

• Simple, free or low-cost home repairs and improvements
• What to look for when building, buying or renting a new home  
• Repairs and upgrades you can tackle on your own, and those that call for a professional
• How to create a home that you and your family will love — forever

Participants can stream the live event from the comfort of their homes on Facebook and aarp.org and ask questions in an interactive Q&A. Registrations is required and can be accessed here.

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About AARP

AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation’s largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.