Open enrollment for Medicare participants gets underway October 15 and the Better Business Bureau is warning seniors to be cautious if they receive unsolicited calls or door-to-door sales pitches offering supplemental plans and services.
One point of confusion can be the names used by some companies offering plans. An eastern Kentucky woman recently told BBB she received a phone call from a company with the word “Medicare” in its name. She initially thought the call was from the agency. When the caller asked for her Medicare number, she got wary and hung up.
http://liarcatchers.com/fraud_investigation.html
“Each year BBB hears from Medicare recipients or their family members about phone solicitors or visitors implying they are ‘with Medicare’ offering to go over their current plan benefits,” said BBB President & CEO Jack Frank. “Unsuspecting seniors may be misled into signing up for something they do not understand, or possibly even giving their personal information to an identity thief.”
Guard your Medicare number. Medicare will never contact you for your Medicare number or other personal information. Don’t share that information with anyone who contacts you by phone, email or in person, unless you’ve given them permission in advance.
Beware of high pressure. Be suspicious of anyone who urges you to “act now” for the best deal. There are no “early bird discounts” or “limited time offers”. Any offer that sounds too good to be true probably is.
Be skeptical of free gifts or medical services. A common ploy of identity thieves calling you is to say they can send you your free gift right away—they just need your Medicare number to confirm. Say no and hang up. Medicare does not call or visit offering products or services.
Check out providers with BBB and Medicare. There are legitimate Medicare insurance providers out there…but Medicare reminds you that plans are NOT allowed to call you or come to your home without an invitation from you. Contact BBB at (859) 259-1008 or 1-800-866-6668 or at www.bbb.org/lexington. Contact Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227) or at www.medicare.gov.
