The Department of Health Medicaid Office has recently received numerous complaints from Medicaid clients and applicants who have received phone calls from people posing as Medicaid representatives requesting personal information. The calls are being reported in different areas throughout the state.
Callers posing as Medicaid staff have reportedly requested Medicaid card numbers, bank account information, social security numbers and family information. They do this under the pretense of needing to update records at the Medicaid office. Many of those who were contacted said the caller had a foreign-sounding accent.
Other complaints have reported the ‘Medicaid representatives’ going door-to-door to ask for this information. Many of those targeted by the scam have been elderly, but the scammers have not limited themselves to striking only that demographic.
Medicaid Field Operations Director Don Gregory advises citizens to use caution when being asked for personal information over the phone or by someone at their door.
“People receiving these calls should not only contact us, but they should also call law enforcement,” said Gregory. “When in doubt, or when a call is received from someone other than the usual caseworker, our clients should ask for the caller’s name and phone number and call the person back to verify they are Medicaid employees.”
Individuals who feel they have been contacted by someone posing as a Medicaid representative and wish to verify the identity of the worker can call the Medicaid hotline at 1-888-342-6207.
For more information, visit www.dhh.louisiana.gov/medicaid.