As an insurance agent, I have been told numerous tales of individuals becoming victims of Medicare scams. It’s sad but true.
The worst part is if you are scammed into buying the wrong plan, it could be detrimental to your medical treatment. It is especially troublesome when the new plan not only doesn’t include your regular doctors contracted as In-Network, but there are few providers in your area that accept the new plan. It is terribly frustrating to you, the consumer, and it is also very frustrating to us, the agents who work hard to do the right things for their clients!
Let the Medicare Scams Begin!
A few months prior to your 65th birthday, the onslaught of daily phone calls from insurance companies and agents alike will begin. You will also receive numerous marketing pieces in the mail. It can be very overwhelming! This steady stream of bombardment will last all year long, and it will ramp up near the Annual Open Enrollment period, which is October 15th thru December 7th. Don’t let your frustration of these things cloud your judgement.
Tips for Avoiding Medicare Scams
To help you prepare for this season of your life, please keep the following information in mind. It may help you avoid becoming a victim of a Medicare scam.
- Medicare or the Social Security office will NOT call you to sell you a plan or to register you for a plan. The people calling you are 1 of 3 entities: insurance companies, telemarketers that work for insurance companies, or agents. Sometimes the name of their company will have the word “Medicare” in it. Their number one job is to sell you a policy.
- If you are not ready to sign up for a policy, do not give these folks any personal information. Do not give them your social security number or your Medicare Number. They are trained to get you excited about one aspect of the plan, and talk fast to quickly enroll you. They will not properly check that your doctors, hospitals and prescriptions are covered by the plan. While that is not always the case, it certainly seems to happen more often than not.
- After signing up for a plan, you will continue to receive phone calls trying to sell you different plans. They may tell you that they are with the company you are currently insured with. Again, be careful who you talk with. If the caller cannot provide you with some identifying information about you, such as your policy number, then they are clearly not who they say they are.
Medicare scams are out there. Overall, it cannot be stressed enough: Be careful who you talk to. And be careful who you give your information to – that includes, again, your social security number, Medicare number, and insurance policy number.
It is my hope that being made aware of these potential scams and equipping you with knowledge about how to handle them will help protect you from becoming a victim.
We Are Here to Help You!
We strongly encourage you to talk to a Medicare insurance agent who is familiar with your area and its doctors and hospitals. Our agents at Middle Georgia Medicare can help you! We live in the same communities as you, and we know what insurance plans have the higher provider presence in your area. If there is an issue down the road, you can call your local Middle Georgia Medicare agent to help navigate you through the problem. We are here to help!
Have a Medicare question? Ready to find an agent with YOUR best interests in mind?
Please click HERE to visit our Find Your Agent webpage. Here you will find a list of our fantastic local agents, their contact information, and their bios. We are ready to help you!
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