Iowa Insurance Division Fraud Alert

Mount Pleasant — The Iowa Insurance Division is encouraging Iowans on Medicare to be on the lookout for a letter distributed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The letter warns that they may be one of the 103,000 Medicare beneficiaries nationwide that had a fake Medicare.gov account created with their personal information.

CMS identified suspicious activity, and worked to deactivate affected accounts, assess the scope of the issue, and mitigate the harm. Those affected should receive (or have received) a letter, which includes the following language:

We’re writing to inform you of an incident involving your personal information related to your Medicare.gov account. To help make sure your privacy is protected, we will mail you a new Medicare card with a new Medicare Number in the coming weeks.

The incident involved currently unknown bad actors who accessed your data from an unknown source to fraudulently create Medicare.gov accounts.

We’re sending you this letter so you understand this incident, how we’re addressing it, and additional steps you can take to protect your privacy. Your current Medicare benefits or coverage aren’t affected by this incident.

Fraudulent accounts were created between 2023 and 2025 and used Medicare numbers, coverage start date, last name, birth date, and ZIP code. CMS has been able to identify the fraudulent accounts and reports no criminal activity from those fake accounts has been identified to date.

The Iowa Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP)/ Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Director Kristin Griffith stated that issues such as this makes it even more important to review statements of benefits. “Iowans on Medicare have a critical role to play in preventing fraud.

One of the single best actions they can take is to carefully review their Medicare Summary of Notice or Explanation of Benefits (depending on how they receive their Medicare) and watch for fraudulent charges for services or equipment they did not receive.” Griffith reports that by remaining vigilant Iowans have the power to stop fraud.

If you need help with understanding your Explanation of Benefits or Medicare Summary, SHIIP has created a step-by-step guide to assist you.

Key steps Medicare beneficiaries can take include:

1. Reviewing Medicare Summary Notices and Explanation of Benefits for any unfamiliar charges or services.

2. Calling the Iowa Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) at 1-800-351-4664 if any suspicious activity is found on their Medicare Summary Notices or Explanation of Benefits. 3. Obtaining free annual credit reports through www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1- 877-322-8228.

4. Filing reports with local law enforcement and/or the Federal Trade Commission by calling 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338) or online at www.ftc.gov/idtheft if any identity theft concerns arise.

For more information or for other Medicare questions, contact a SHIIP office near you:

319-385-6774 — Henry County Health Center, Mount Pleasant