A major cybersecurity incident has exposed sensitive personal and health records of tens of thousands of Americans.

In a notice, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) says 103,000 individuals across the United States with accounts on Medicare.gov are impacted by a data breach.

CMS says it discovered that user data had been compromised after receiving multiple complaints through its call center. According to the federal agency, hackers may have used information from external sources to collect data such as names, dates of birth, Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers, coverage start dates and ZIP codes to fraudulently create Medicare.gov accounts.

Once inside, the thieves gained access to more sensitive data, including provider details, mailing addresses, dates of service, diagnosis codes, services received and plan premiums.

“On May 2, 2025, representatives at our 1-800-MEDICARE call center flagged complaints from people with Medicare who had received a letter through the mail about the creation of a Medicare.gov account. However, these callers hadn’t created the accounts or asked anyone else to do it for them.

Noticing the similarities in the reports, we investigated further and discovered more cases of accounts created between 2023 and 2025 that matched this pattern. We quickly deactivated those accounts, while also launching a larger effort to find the bad actors who created them.”

The CMS is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services tasked with overseeing the country’s healthcare programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Health Insurance Marketplace.

The CMS is encouraging affected individuals to get a free credit report from each of the three major nationwide credit reporting companies. The agency also says that it hasn’t received any reports of identity fraud or improper use of personal information as a result of the incident.

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One physician in California has skipped town after manipulating the Medicare system to defraud the government of nearly $1.5 million.

According to a new Department of Justice (DOJ) press release, 61-year-old Medicare provider Lilit Gagikovna Baltaian of Porter Ranch, CA, has been sentenced, in absentia, to four-and-a-half years in prison for healthcare fraud.

The DOJ says the fugitive issued false certifications in Los Angeles from 2012 to 2018, costing the government $1.497 million.

“From approximately January 2012 to July 2018, she falsely certified patients to receive home health care from at least four Los Angeles area home health agencies. These certifications were used by the home health agencies to fraudulently bill Medicare.

In some instances, Baltaian pre-signed blank, undated physician certification forms knowing that the home health agencies would falsify the forms to make appear that she had seen the Medicare beneficiaries and made clinical findings to support the need for home health care, when she had done neither. Baltaian received cash payments related to these referrals and also separately billed Medicare for signing the fraudulent certifications.”

Though Baltaian pleaded guilty to a count of healthcare fraud in November of last year, the physician fraudster has since disappeared, presumably on the run from the law.

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Signing up for Medicare once you turn 65 may not be as exciting as applying for Social Security checks, but it’s significant nonetheless. Medicare will likely play an important part in covering your healthcare costs for the remainder of your life.

You’re not alone if you find it confusing, though. The ins and outs of traditional health insurance can be difficult to follow, and Medicare’s got some unique rules on top of that. This can lead to some costly misconceptions, including the seven Medicare myths listed below.

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1. The government will automatically enroll you in Medicare

This may be true for you if you’re already receiving Social Security benefits four months prior to becoming eligible for Medicare, but it’s not true for everyone. Those who aren’t receiving Social Security at 64 and 8 months must actively sign up for Original Medicare — Parts A and B.

Even if you are on Social Security four months before you’re eligible for Medicare, you may still have to actively enroll in Medicare Part B if you live in Puerto Rico. The government only automatically enrolls Puerto Rican residents in Part A.

2. You can sign up for Medicare at any time after you turn 65

Your initial enrollment period for Medicare begins three months before you turn 65 and ends three months after you turn 65. Most people sign up for Medicare in this window.

Failing to sign up during this time can result in gaps in your coverage and late enrollment penalties, which often leads to a lifetime premium increase. However, you may be able to avoid penalties if you have insurance through your employer at 65 and enroll in Medicare as soon as you lose this coverage.

3. Medicare is free for everyone

You won’t have to pay a Part A premium if you or your spouse paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years throughout your career. However, those who don’t meet this criteria will pay a premium for this coverage. All Medicare beneficiaries have a $1,676 Part A deductible in 2025.

Medicare Part B has a monthly premium of $185 for most people, though some high earners pay up to $628.90 per month. Part B also has a deductible and copays. If you enroll in a Part D plan or Medicare Advantage plan, these will have their own costs.

4. Medicare is all you need in retirement

Original Medicare consists of hospital insurance (Part A) and medical insurance (Part B). Part A covers in-patient hospital stays, skilled nursing care, hospice care, and home healthcare. Part B covers a range of services, including outpatient care, durable medical equipment, and preventive services.

You’ll need to add an optional Part D plan if you want prescription drug coverage, though. Even then, you’ll have to pay for things like dental and vision care and hearing aids out of your own pocket unless you choose to purchase a Medigap or Medicare Advantage plan.

5. Medigap is the same as Medicare Advantage

Medigap policies, also known as Medicare supplement policies, are policies that are intended to provide services Original Medicare doesn’t cover. You purchase one of these from a private insurer and you have separate bills, premiums, and deductibles for your Medigap and Medicare plans.

Medicare Advantage is an alternative to Original Medicare available through private insurers. A Medicare Advantage plan covers everything in Original Medicare and it may include some extras as well. If you go this route, you’ll only have one premium and deductible to worry about. But you’re usually restricted to using doctors in the Medicare Advantage plan’s network.

6. You don’t need Part D if you don’t take any medications regularly

While a Medicare Part D plan might be most valuable to seniors who routinely take medications, it’s still worth considering even if you don’t. You never know when you might need to take medication for a short time or when you might develop a more serious illness that requires regular medication. A Part D plan can help cover some of these costs for you.

Part D plans can also cover the cost of certain preventive treatments, like vaccines, that can help you avoid diseases in the first place.

7. Once you sign up for Medicare, you’re locked into a plan forever

Every year, there’s an Open Enrollment Period that runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. During this time, you can switch from a Medicare plan to a Medicare Advantage plan or vice versa. You can also choose a new Medigap or Part D plan. If you switch your plan during this window, your new coverage will take effect on Jan. 1 of the following year.

If you have any questions about your Medicare plan, it’s best to reach out to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Or if you have a Medicare Advantage or Medigap plan, you can contact the private health insurer associated with it to learn more about coverage and costs.