The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced that over 103,000 Medicare beneficiaries were affected by a serious data security incident. If you use Medicare, this is important to know.
What Happened?
According to CMS, someone used personal information obtained elsewhere—like your Medicare Beneficiary Identifier, coverage start date, birth date, and zip code—to create unauthorized Medicare.gov accounts. This allowed them to access sensitive information about your health care, including:
- Your provider and plan information
- Medical services and diagnostic codes
- Mailing address
- Premium details
This suspicious activity started back in 2023, but CMS didn’t realize what was happening until beneficiaries started calling to say they received confirmation letters for accounts they hadn’t created. That’s how the problem came to light.
CMS has said they aren’t aware of any cases of identity fraud or misuse so far, but the situation is still unfolding.
How Is CMS Responding?
CMS has taken these immediate steps:
- Deactivated all fraudulently created accounts they could identify.
- Blocked new Medicare.gov accounts from being created using foreign IP addresses.
- Monitoring claims for suspicious activity.
- Mailing new Medicare cards with new numbers to everyone affected.
You should expect to get a letter in the mail explaining what happened. Importantly, the official letters will not ask you to pay money, click any links, or call any numbers to reactivate your account. They will simply inform you that a new Medicare card is coming.
If you get any letters, calls, or emails demanding payment or asking you to click links or share more information, that’s likely a scam.
What Should You Do?
Here are some clear, simple steps you can take to protect yourself:
- Keep using your current Medicare card until the new one arrives. CMS hasn’t said you need to stop using it.
- Watch your Medicare Summary Notices and Explanation of Benefits closely. If you see any charges for services you didn’t receive—like medical equipment or treatments you never requested—report it right away.
- Get your free annual credit report. Visit AnnualCreditReport.com (this is the only official site) to check for suspicious activity.
- Consider freezing your credit. This is free to do and can help prevent identity theft. Even if you’ve never done it before, it’s worth considering now.
- Report any suspicious Medicare activity. Call 1-800-MEDICARE or the Office of Inspector General. If you think your identity has been stolen, you can also report it to the FTC or local law enforcement.
Relief Recap
Data breaches can be scary. It feels overwhelming to think that your personal health information might be out there in the wrong hands. But you are not powerless here. By staying alert, reviewing your records, and taking some simple precautions, you can protect yourself from further harm.
If you have questions about your specific Medicare coverage or need help picking the right plan, you can call Chapter’s licensed experts. For legal aid, free consultations, or other support, check out our Legal Aid Resources.
The views and opinions expressed in the content on this website are solely those of the content creators and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Chapter, or its affiliates. Chapter makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided. All content is intended for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes only and should not be interpreted as official positions of the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Chapter, or its affiliates. Chapter disclaims any liability for actions taken based on this content.
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