SCAM ALERT: The “Free” Medical Device That Bills Medicare for Nothing
The HHS Office of Inspector General is warning Medicare enrollees about companies signing people up for “remote patient monitoring” they never asked for, never need, and often never actually receive — while billing Medicare for it every month.
What’s Happening
Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is a real, legitimate thing — devices like blood pressure cuffs, glucose monitors, or scales that let your doctor track a chronic condition from home. Genuinely useful for the right patient. That’s exactly what scammers are exploiting.
Companies posing as durable medical equipment suppliers or pharmacies are reaching Medicare enrollees by phone, internet ads, or TV commercials, offering a “free” monitoring device. To get it, you’re asked for your Medicare number and other personal information. From there, the company bills Medicare every month for setup, training, and monitoring — monitoring that, in most cases, never actually happens. You may never even receive a working device, or one that isn’t FDA-approved.
You might not notice a thing — no money leaves your pocket directly. But it’s still fraud, it still costs the Medicare program (and by extension, everyone), and it can leave your Medicare number in the hands of people who have no business having it.
Red Flags
- An unexpected call, text, or ad offering a “free” brace, monitor, or medical device billed to Medicare
- A request for your Medicare number before any doctor has recommended the device
- Medical equipment arriving that you never ordered
- Charges on your Medicare Summary Notice for monitoring services you don’t recall receiving
What To Do
Hang up on unsolicited offers for “free” medical devices, and never give out your Medicare number to anyone who contacts you first. If unordered equipment shows up, don’t accept or use it unless your own doctor confirms you actually ordered it. Check your Medicare Summary Notices regularly for services you don’t recognize.
Full details on where to report this are on our What To Do page — Medicare section, including the Senior Medicare Patrol helpline for free help reviewing your statements.
Gotten one of these “free device” offers yourself? Tell us about it — it helps us track what’s currently making the rounds.