Protect yourself and your loved ones from health care fraud related to COVID-19.

Be Alert

Fraudsters may be engaged in schemes involving COVID-19 vaccines targeting individuals in a number of ways, including via telemarketing calls, social media platforms, and door-to-door visits.

The personal information collected could then be used to fraudulently bill HMSA members and the unapproved vaccines may cause harm.

Potential COVID-19 vaccine schemes include:

• Advertisements or offers for early access to a vaccine upon payment of a deposit or fee.
• Requests asking you to pay out of pocket to obtain the vaccine or to put your name on a COVID-19 vaccine waiting list.
• Offers to conduct additional medical testing or procedures when obtaining a vaccine.
• Marketers offering to sell and/or ship doses of a vaccine, domestically or internationally, in exchange for a deposit or fee.
• Unsolicited emails, telephone calls, or personal contact from someone claiming to be from a medical office, insurance company, or COVID-19 vaccine center requesting personal and/or medical information to determine your eligibility to participate in clinical vaccine trials or obtain the vaccine.
• Claims of FDA approval for a vaccine that can’t be verified.
• Advertisements for vaccines through social media platforms, email, telephone calls, online, or from unsolicited/unknown sources.
• Individuals contacting you in person, by phone, or by email to tell you the government or government officials require you to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Report It

HMSA works with state and federal agencies and advocacy organizations to report, investigate, and reduce health care fraud. If you think fraud, waste, or abuse is impacting your HMSA benefits, contact HMSA’s Special Investigations Unit.

By phone:

• Confidential fraud hotline: Call 808-948-5166 or 1-888-398-6445.
• Confidential Compliance and Ethics hotline: 1-800-749-4672.

By email:
Fraud&Abuse@hmsa.com

By mail:

• HMSA
  Special Investigations Unit, 10600
  P.O. Box 860
  Honolulu, HI  96808

If you have non-HMSA-related fraud, waste, and abuse concerns about COVID-19 (e.g. you went to a pop-up COVID-19 testing station that didn't accept insurance), you can:

• Contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or by email.
• Submit a tip via the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s electronic tip form¹.
• Visit the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crimes Complaint Center¹.