Is your phone constantly ringing? Do you feel lost trying to figure out what are legitimate calls and what might be someone trying to sell you something, or worse, Medicare spam?!
Older adults are often the target of scams. Scammers are savvy and convincing, and their scams are designed to catch people off guard. From phone calls to text messages to emails, it is important to be hyper vigilant these days.
Sadly, Medicare scams and fraudulent behavior is high. Being that Medicare can be confusing, those of you on Medicare have a bigger target on your back to decipher if communications are valid or not.
You may get a call from a representative from an insurance company asking you questions about your Medicare plan, and it can be difficult to understand what they’re trying to get you to do.
Don’t worry. In today’s blog we’re going to give you all the information you need to figure out what these phone calls, texts, and/or emails mean, how to spot scams, and what to do if you get supposed Medicare calls!
Why Am I Getting So Many Calls About Medicare?
Unfortunately, your data is available for purchase. Companies sell this information to use for sales calls. Data is collected and shared via various avenues: from government data to tracking cookies and geolocation.
What does that mean? Every time you use an app on your phone, social media, or even a Walmart account, your every search and purchase is noted.
Marketers and credit bureaus have always collected, analyzed and compiled lots of data about people: from loyalty programs to consumer credit reporting.
Now in addition, the drive to create ever more targeted ads has created an entire ecosystem made up of thousands of companies that are all in the business of tracking and profiling people in virtually all aspects of their lives. The problem is: today’s pervasive digital tracking is mostly invisible.
At age 65 and older, you become almost hunted by Medicare agents, brokers, and insurance companies, as you have dollar signs on your back. If they sign you up or change your plan, they make money.
The problem is that many people calling you have their best interest at heart, making money, not yours. Agents like this will not hesitate to switch you out of a plan where you are fully covered both medically and financially, to an inferior plan. And worse, you will never hear from them again and are left to figure it out on your own.
Often the switch from one Medicare plan to another is irreversible and you are stuck, potentially paying a lot more money and unable to receive the medical care and treatment you need.
Beware Medicare Fraud
Medicare fraud is rampant as well, so your Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI),the number that is on your red white and blue card, is valuable and needs to be protected.
Once a scammer obtains your MBI, they can make false medical claims with it and receive payments. For this reason, and many others, we always tell our clients never to give out your Medicare number and never talk to anyone but your trusted agent about your Medicare information.
Beware of any caller who says they need your Medicare number or Social Security number to “activate, renew, or upgrade” your Medicare card. Do not engage.
Remember this one thing: Medicare or Social Security will not be calling you!
If someone calls and introduces themselves as someone from SS or Medicare, that is a tell-tale sign of a fraud.
Medicare and Social Security send notices via the mail. You can also find information on your secure Medicare.gov portal and ssa.gov portals. If you are ever in doubt, check those first to confirm if something is off with your accounts.
Medicare Phone Calls: Sales Calls
Call centers around the U.S. and internationally are calling seniors to switch their Medicare plans.
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has tried to combat this by enforcing regulations like call recordings and scope of appointment signatures in some instances, but this issue persists.
Many times, because seniors are confused and think the person on the other end has their best interest at heart, they engage in the conversation and before they know it they have a brand new Medicare plan.
Sadly, there is no agent to call and no way to ask questions about comparing their previous plan and a new plan. After someone agrees to a new plan, they will discover they no longer have the medical coverage they thought they had.
This is a Public Service Announcement: NEVER accept a call from someone you do not know about your Medicare plan. Ever!
Common Medicare Scams: Know the Warning Signs
New scams pop up left and right.
Recently, a scam went around where Medicare beneficiaries received calls informing them their new plastic Medicare cards were being processed and they needed to confirm their Medicare number so they could receive the new card. Scam!
Remember, never give out your Medicare or Social Security number to anyone.
Insurance companies will also not call you!
A scam circulated where beneficiaries received calls from a certain well known insurance company stating they needed to update their information in their system and asked the beneficiary to confirm their Medicare number.
The company you have your Medicare supplement or Advantage plan with has your information and will not be calling you to confirm it! This is a scam.
WHAT TO DO
- Ask clarifying questions, write them down, and get the name and phone number of the person you are speaking with.
- Never ever give any personal information.
- Contact your personal Medicare agent (this is why it is important to have one!) or hang up and call the number on the back of your Medicare supplement or advantage card – or 1-800-MEDICARE and report it.
Don’t click on any texts or links that look suspicious!
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask!
If you’re still not sure what to do about calls you’re getting, that’s okay. It is hard to tell what’s going on! Don’t ever be ashamed to call your insurance agent to find out what you should do. You’re not the only one who finds these types of calls confusing.
Wondering about your Medicare plan? Need a trusted agent to help you explore all the options you have for Medicare? I would love to help!
Contact me or call me at (512) 666-7785 today.