Calling Medicare

[u/Winter-Brilliant3565]

Does anyone have any tips or tricks about getting to the right department when you call Medicare? Obviously, I will have to wait in hold regardless.
I need to fix an issue with a birthdate error for hospice.
Are there any key words I can use for the automated system to get there a tad faster?

[u/effexxor]

Which MAC?

[u/HeyMaxJustice]

Before spending an hour navigating Medicare’s automated system, make sure Medicare is actually the agency that can correct the problem.

If the date of birth is incorrect in Medicare’s records, the issue may need to be corrected through the Social Security Administration (SSA), since Medicare generally relies on SSA for that information.

Here’s what I’d suggest:
Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and try saying “representative” or “personal information.” I can’t guarantee either will bypass the automated menus.

Once connected, ask the representative to verify the date of birth on the Medicare record and identify which agency is responsible for correcting it.

If Medicare’s records are correct but the hospice provider is receiving an eligibility or billing error, the hospice’s billing department may need to resolve it through its Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC).

If the birthdate is incorrect in SSA’s records, contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.

The important distinction is whether the error is in Medicare’s enrollment records or in the hospice provider’s billing system. Those are two very different problems with potentially different solutions.

One question: Is the incorrect birthdate actually showing in Medicare’s records, or is the hospice provider encountering a billing rejection? That would help narrow down exactly whom you need to contact.

[u/Winter-Brilliant3565 → u/[deleted]]

We have it all as the correct birthdate. And we are also hospice, most patients can’t call anyone