As the annual Medicare open enrollment period draws to a close, there are still scammers out there looking to take advantage of Medicare beneficiaries. With a little over a week left, it’s important to be vigilant while making your healthcare decisions for the year ahead, and beyond.
Like most of us, you probably began seeing ads about Medicare plans on TV. You may have even received mail, phone calls, or unsolicited emails about the open enrollment period. On their website, the FTC warns, “When it’s Medicare open season, or when health insurance is a big story, scammers get busy contacting people; they want your Social Security number, financial account numbers or insurance information.” But there are simple ways to avoid being scammed. Here’s what the FTC recommends:
- Never provide any personal information to an unknown sender, regardless of their insistence on being a government or Medicare employee.
- Medicare will never phone you to sell you anything or visit you at your home. Medicare, or someone representing Medicare, will only call and ask for personal information in limited situations.
- Never click on links, open attachments, or return calls to any numbers if you’ve received messages claiming to be from Medicare. These are scammers phishing for personal information.
- Throw away the mail, delete the messages, or get off the phone.
When in doubt, you can always call Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE. To sign up for consumer alerts about scams, fraud, and other shady practices, visit ftc.gov/ConsumerAlerts.
For help with Medicare plans – or any questions you may have about Medicare – contact AMAC’s Medicare Advisory Service at 1-855-611-4856 or request a quote below!