En español | Fraud against Medicare — usually committed by medical practitioners, equipment suppliers and related entities that claim money from Medicare for services they have not provided — is a huge, multibillion-dollar industry. The Office of Inspector General of Medicare investigates and prosecutes many such cases, some of which are brought to light by Medicare beneficiaries who notice something that doesn’t look right and report it. Often it’s the result of studying their Medicare Summary Notice and realizing that the statement is showing that Medicare paid for a service or item that they didn’t receive.
If you suspect a fraud has occurred, you should report it, providing as many details as you can, in any of the following ways:
- Call Medicare’s help line at 800-633-4227.
- Call the Office of Inspector General directly at 800‑HHS‑TIPS (800‑447‑8477, or TTY 800‑377‑4950).
- File an online report with the Office of Inspector General.
You are not required to identify yourself when reporting a suspected fraud, although keep in mind that the investigators may want to contact you for further information in order to pursue the case properly. If your suspicion is confirmed and leads directly to the recovery of Medicare money, you may get up to $1,000 as a reward.
For more information on how to report fraud, see Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services' guidance reporting fraud.
