Check Your Medicare Statement for Equipment You Never Received
Unexpected medical equipment on your Medicare statement may be fraud. Here is how to review the charge and report it safely.
Back to AlertsCheck your latest Medicare Summary Notice or health plan statement. If it lists braces, catheters, glucose monitors, or other medical equipment you never ordered or received, do not ignore it.
Report the charge. Federal officials recently stopped payments connected to a large medical-equipment fraud scheme. Criminals may use stolen Medicare information to bill for supplies a person never requested.
PAUSE signs to watch for
- P — Pressure: A caller says you must accept equipment or confirm your Medicare number immediately.
- A — Authority or alarm: They claim to be calling from Medicare, your doctor, or an approved supplier.
- U — Unusual requests: They ask for your Medicare number, Social Security number, or other personal information for “free” equipment.
- S — Secrecy or separation: They discourage you from checking with your doctor or health plan.
- E — Examine independently: Call your doctor, plan, or Medicare using a number you look up yourself.
Safest response: Do not give an unexpected caller your Medicare number. Review every statement and question anything you do not recognize.
Learn all five PAUSE warning signs →
What to do now
- Review your Medicare Summary Notice or health plan Explanation of Benefits.
- Circle equipment, supplies, or services you did not receive.
- Call the provider or plan using the number printed on the statement.
- If it is not corrected, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
- Keep the statement and notes from every call.
A Medicare number should be protected like a credit card number. “Free” equipment is not free when a criminal bills Medicare in your name.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, September 8, 2026.