For Filipino-American veterans, do not give Medicare numbers in exchange of money for participating in a “medical survey” or “clinical testing.”
That was the warning given last week by the Philippine Consulate General in New York after learning about a scam allegedly directed against elderly Filipino-American veterans.
The scam, which was originally reported by the Philippine consulates in San Francisco and Los Angeles, is allegedly operated by medical con artists who promise $100 to elderly Filipino-American veterans if they participate in a survey and give their Medicare numbers.
The New York consulate said the con artists use the Medicare numbers they have fraudulently obtained to bill Medicare for health services, as well as medical equipment, which the elderly veterans did not receive. In many cases, the consulate said, the health services that are being billed Medicare were not even needed by the veterans.
Bartolome Gorero, 80, together with his wife, Estelita, participated in the fraudulent clinical tests. Each of them received $100 for taking a van ride to a sleep clinic in San Jose, California, where they were asked to lie on beds for four hours with wires attached to their bodies and watch movies. The clinic operator later billed Medicare $7,950 for sleep studies on the elderly couple. The operator said the two had no sleep problems.
For Apolonio Ladia, 81, several individuals claiming to be medical representatives paid him to go to three clinics in the Bay Area, in California. Despite being physically fit and had no major medical complaints, he underwent 46 medical and laboratory tests. His Medicare bill was more than $8,500.
Consul General Cecilia Rebong said that she was informed by the Philippine Consulates in San Francisco and Los Angeles that the insidious scam appears to mirror medical fraud rings that have been investigated and prosecuted in Los Angeles and dozens of other cities.
Before these medical con artists could victimize Filipino-American veterans or elderly in the New York region, Rebong wanted to make the Filipino community aware of the scam.
“Our Filipino-American veterans in this part of the United States ought to be extra vigilant if and when participating in any medical surveys, as this just could be another scam. They should never reveal or give their Medicare numbers unless they are sure of the identity and legitimacy of the persons or companies they are dealing with,” Rebong said.
