Medicare scams expected to surge. Here's what to look out for

Dennis Horton
·3 min read
6

Twice a year, individuals receiving Medicare benefits can join, drop, or switch your Medicare plan. The first time that can be done is during the open enrollment period which runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7.

If you are eligible for Medicare, you are probably already aware of this based on all of the advertisements for the many different plans that are overflowing your mailbox. Additionally, there’s also the text messages and emails.

Choosing a plan can be a confusing process. That provides fertile ground for scammers.

Watch out for any unsolicited contacts offering “assistance,” or you could find yourself involved in a fraudulent scheme.

Regardless of the method of contact, scammers claim they can enroll you in a better Medicare program than you currently have. This new plan is always cheaper, and you can keep all the same benefits. To get started, all you need to do is provide some personal information, such as your Medicare ID number.

Medicare coverage is crucial to all receiving benefits. So, the con artist claiming to be a Medicare advisor will also play on the fear of loss of coverage. They try to rattle victims by claiming that your Medicare will be discontinued if you don't re-enroll. This fake advisor can fix the situation if you share personal information with them.

And there’s more. If you get a call, text or email saying Medicare is replacing your current Medicare card with a new plastic card or one with a chip in it, hang up, and do not reply. It is a scam. Do not give out any of your Medicare information. Medicare will not call you out of the blue. You will need to contact them. Additionally, someone from Medicare will never show up at your doorstep.

As I mentioned earlier, the enrollment process can be confusing. At the Better Business Bureau, we recommend adult children and friends of those Medicare-eligible reach out to them to make sure they are working with a legitimate provider.

Here are some tips to avoid open enrollment scams:

  • Be wary of anyone who contacts you unsolicited. People representing Medicare plans don’t contact you by phone, email, or in-person unless you are already enrolled and requested a phone call. Be especially cautious of threatening calls that require quick action or immediate payment.

  • Medicare does provide legitimate help with figuring out which plan is right for you. These people — sometimes called Navigators or Assisters — are not allowed to charge for their help. If someone asks you for payment, it’s a scam. You will also need to contact them. They will not call you out of the blue.

  • Decline promotional gifts in exchange for personal information. Keep a healthy level of skepticism any time a broker offers you free gifts, health screenings, or other special deals. Never sign up with a broker who offers you an expensive “sign-up gift” in exchange for providing your Medicare ID number or other personally identifiable information.

  • Beware of dishonest insurance brokers who offer “free health screenings.” Some brokers offer this to weed out people who are less healthy. This is called “cherry picking” and is against the Medicare rules.

  • Guard your government-issued numbers. Never offer your Medicare ID number or social security number to anyone you don’t know.

  • Visit the official Medicare.gov website for general information or if you want to make changes to your health care plan. Do not click on links in texts or email messages.

Dennis Horton is director of the Rockford Regional Office of the Better Business Bureau, which serves Winnebago, Boone and Stephenson counties among others in northern Illinois.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Medicare scams expected to surge. Here's what to look out for