Do you know what season it is? If you said “fall or autumn” or “archery and crossbow for deer and wild boar in West Virginia”, you would have been right. But, since this is the Scam Alert Lady column, you can bet that neither of those are what this article is about.
It’s also Open Enrollment for Medicare which means beneficiaries can make changes in the coverage they have, and possibly changes in the companies that provide coverage. This is also open season for scammers. Please understand, there is no bad season for a scammer but when there are opportunities that allow scammers to make more money, they will definitely take advantage of those opportunities. The holidays, after a disaster, asking for support for the “local charity” are all occasions when we see scammers come out of the woodwork. Open Enrollment for Medicare is one of those occasions.
Open Enrollment for Medicare opens a new world of potential scammees for bad actors. Medicare beneficiaries are typically older or have a challenge that has made them eligible for benefits. They are generally more vulnerable. There may be hearing challenges or memory issues. They may be isolated and lonely. And they definitely don’t want to mess up their Medicare benefits.
We are getting bombarded with snail mail, phone calls, and media blitzes with marketers telling us about the choices we have for Medicare supplements or Medicare Advantage plans. Much of this advertising – as annoying as it is – is legal. But there are guardrails.
There are rules regarding marketing that legitimate agents and brokers must follow. Examples of regulations for marketing Medicare products include:
- Call you unless you’re already a member of the plan or you’ve given them permission to contact you. If you’re a member, the agent who helped you join can call you.
- Come to your home uninvited to sell or endorse anything
- Offer you cash (or gifts worth more than $15) to join their plan or give you free meals during a sales pitch for a Medicare health or drug plan.
- Ask you for payment over the phone or online. The plan must send you a bill.
- Talk to you about their plan in areas where you get health care like an exam room, hospital patient room, or at a pharmacy counter.
- Market their plans or enroll you during an educational event like a health fair or conference.
For free, confidential information, contact your state’s SHIP (State Health Insurance Information Program) counselor who can assist you with Medicare choices or Medicare issues. Find your state’s SHIP program for help from trained counselors.
Check on friends and relatives who may be getting approached by scammers. Don’t click on a text or email link. Don’t answer the call if you don’t know the number. If someone is soliciting you, hang up. Don’t give your Social Security number or Medicare number to any callers.
STOP!!! THINK!!! Don’t be a scammee!
Stay safe!
