The Daily Citizen, Dalton, GA

State News

Discussion

Welcome to our online comments feature. To join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address. Once you do, your comments will post automatically. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean. We reserve the right to remove comments that are obscene, racist or abusive and statements that are false or unverifiable. Repeat offenders will be blocked. You may flag objectionable comments for review by a moderator.
comments powered by Disqus
August 25, 2008

Tips to Medicare beneficiaries on avoiding identity theft

Submitted by the Department of Human Resources



ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging Services’ GeorgiaCares SMP program is providing tips to Medicare beneficiaries on protecting themselves against identity theft and Medicare fraud.

GeorgiaCares SMP provides health insurance counseling, as well as assistance with reporting and following up on Medicare fraud, abuse and error. GeorgiaCares' toll-free number is 1-800-669-8387.

“Medicare beneficiaries should safeguard their Social Security and Medicare numbers just as they would their credit card number,” said Maria Greene, director of the Division of Aging Services.

Beneficiaries should practice the following tips:

• Never use your Social Security or Medicare numbers as a form of ID.

• If your Social Security number is listed on your driver’s license, have it removed.

• Be cautious about giving out personal information over the phone.

• Shred financial documents and paperwork with personal information before discarding.

• If your Social Security or Medicare number appears on documents you receive in the mail, request that the number be blanked-out on further mailings.

• Check your credit report at least once a year. The law requires the major nationwide consumer reporting companies - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion - to give you a free copy of your credit report each year at your request.

To order a free credit report, visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com, call 1-877-322-8228 or write to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

For more information, visit the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Web site at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/ or call 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338).

Text Only
State News