How might someone misuse a stolen Medicare number?

Using a stolen Medicare number to buy prescription medicine is a form of fraud that can directly exploit the healthcare system. Individuals who misuse Medicare numbers may obtain prescriptions at no cost to themselves, as the charges would be diverted to the Medicare system. This not only results in financial loss to the system, but it also poses risks to patient safety, as the medications acquired fraudulently may not be for legitimate medical conditions. This fraudulent access can lead to unnecessary prescriptions being filled, potentially contributing to problems like drug abuse or unsafe medication practices.

While the other choices may involve some level of deception or fraud, they do not directly correlate with the structural misuse of a Medicare number in a way that impacts the healthcare system as significantly as purchasing prescriptions would.