Lincoln, NE (Mar. 26, 2025) - The Nebraska Department of Insurance is warning consumers after the Nebraska State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) and Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) is reporting an uptick in potential fraudulent billing for Nebraskans with Medicare.
In the past few weeks, NDOI has seen an increase in potential fraudulent billing especially in the western part of the state. Most of the reports found by the department deals with Durable Medicare Equipment fraud including wound care, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), prosthetics, and braces for back, knees, and elbows. Medicare beneficiaries are being charged by these fraudulent companies without showing the medical necessity and sometimes never sending the equipment to the beneficiary.
The billing for the fraudulent charges is being found through the examination of the Medicare Summary Notice. Some of these DME entities are potentially located out of state, with one identified in Florida.
"We are urging all Nebraskans to take proper precautions and review their Medicare Summary Notices regularly," Nebraska SHIP & SMP Administrator Jonathan Burlison said. "Fraudulent billing, especially for durable medical equipment, is on the rise. If you believe you've been targeted for this, please contact the Nebraska SHIP & SMP offices immediately."
Other Types of Fraud
Reports of other types of fraudulent activity in Nebraska include:
- Covid Fraud: Scammers will take advantage of recipients by sending at-home Covid-19 testing kits and then billing them. Covid-19 testing kits are no longer available for free after the end of the Public Health Emergency ended after May 11, 2023. Many recipients never received the kits from their doctors.
- Plastic Medicare Card Scam: Scammers will call and claim a person is getting a new card. Some of their claims include:
- Getting a new, plastic Medicare card.
- Medicare switching to a card with a chip in it.
- You need a black and white card.
- It's a new year so you need a new card.
- They need your Medicare number to see if you have received your new one.
- They need to verify your Medicare number to confirm you have the correct Medicare card.
The last time the Medicare card was updated was in 2018 and there are no plans to update it again.
The official Medicare card is a paper card with a blue banner on the top, white in the middle, and a red banner on the bottom. However, you can print your own black and white card.
How to Protect Yourself
If you believe you are the victim of fraud or need to report fraudulent activity, please reach out to the Nebraska SHIP & SMP at (800) 234-7119 or visit a local SHIP & SMP office. Those offices can be found in Lincoln, Scottsbluff, Norfolk, Grand Island, Kearney, Omaha, and North Platte. People can also contact Medicare directly at 1-800-633-4227 to report their concerns and request a new Medicare number be assigned.
For more information on Medicare and ways to stay alert for fraud, visit the Nebraska SHIP & SMP website at
doi.nebraska.gov/ship-smp.
