Medicare scams: Cherry County Hospital alerts public

VALENTINE, Neb. - Cherry County Hospital is warning the public about a wave of Medicare scams after patients reported receiving fraudulent calls with the Caller ID falsely showing as Cherry County Clinic. In a Facebook post, the hospital urged residents not to provide personal information, including Medicare numbers, over the phone.

“PLEASE DO NOT PROVIDE ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION OVER THE PHONE,” the hospital wrote in all caps.

Scammers are using "spoofing" technology to mimic hospital and clinic phone numbers, tricking patients into believing the calls are legitimate. The hospital advises anyone unsure about a call’s legitimacy to contact the hospital directly at 402-376-2525 or the clinic at 402-376-3770.

“Medicare scam calls are one of the most common ways that criminals attempt to obtain sensitive healthcare information,” said Cherry County Hospital on Facebook.

According to the National Council on Aging, Medicare and Medicaid fraud costs taxpayers more than $100 billion annually, though the real numbers are likely much higher.

The hospital also reminded the public that Medicare will never call you directly unless you’ve initiated contact. Any unsolicited calls claiming to be from Medicare are scams.