Medicare Recipients: Watch for Fake Hospice Sign-Ups and "Free Home Service" Offers
The FBI is warning that some Medicare recipients are being signed up for hospice care they do not need, sometimes without fully understanding what they agreed to. Be cautious of anyone offering free home services in exchange for signing forms.
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center issued a new warning about hospice fraud targeting Medicare recipients. In this scheme, a person may be pressured into signing up for hospice care even though they are not terminally ill, do not need hospice services, or do not understand what they are signing.
Some scammers may offer "free" help at home, such as cleaning, meals, or other services, but make the offer conditional on using a specific hospice company. In other cases, Medicare may be billed for services that were never provided, or a person may be enrolled without clearly knowing it happened.
This matters because hospice enrollment can affect the kind of care Medicare pays for. If someone fraudulently signs you up, it may create confusion when you try to get normal medical care later.
What to do: Do not sign hospice paperwork because someone offers a free service, gift, or home visit. Talk with your regular doctor first. If you receive mail saying you are enrolled in hospice and you did not choose it, call Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE. You can also review your Medicare statements for unfamiliar hospice charges.
If you believe someone tried to enroll you without permission, report it to Medicare and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.