Every so often we get emails regarding the latest Medicare-related scam circulating our the Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Utah, and Montana region. The most recent one involves diabetic supplies. In short, Medicare beneficiaries are getting calls from a diabetic supplier who is informing them that as of July 1, 2013, many suppliers of diabetic supplies are going out of business. This company, however, is not going out of business and will gladly offer to be your new supplier. Although this scam pales in comparison to many of the other ones we see, it did prompt us to write this article. While tips to avoid every insurance scam ever imagined would fill volumes of books, we’ve boiled it down to five general rules that will get you past most any scam.
- Make sure you know who your coverage is through. We recommend writing the names of your insurance companies down on a piece of paper and sticking them on your refrigerator or somewhere you see often. If you have a Medicare Supplement (e.g. Bankers Fidelity, Mutual of Omaha, or Continental Life), your Prescription Drug Plan is mostly likely with another carrier (e.g. Humana, First Health Part D, AARP United Healthcare). If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan (e.g. True Blue, Pacific Source, Regence MedAdvantage) your health and your prescription coverage will likely be combined into one policy.
- Don’t respond to anything. If you receive anything (letter, post card, flyer, etc.) that looks like it’s from Medicare or your insurance company, DO NOT respond using the information provided. Instead, call Medicare directly (800-633-4227) or your insurance carrier, depending on who the scammer is trying to impersonate.
- Don’t give out personal information. If you get a phone call from Medicare or your insurance carrier, and they begin asking you personal information, hang up. If you’re afraid that it may have been a legitimate call, simply place a call to Medicare or your carrier telling them that you received a call from them and wanted to see if there is anything they need. Most carriers will NEVER ask for personal information over the phone.
- Look for promises and pressure. One common tactic of scammers is, ironically, to appeal to our fear of getting ripped off. If there is some deal with loads of promises that sounds too good to be true, it probably is. While there have been several changes to Medicare in the last few years, there is nothing new that is going to take away all your problems. Also, be wary of anything or anyone that is trying to get you to act RIGHT NOW! Any deal that is going to expire soon (like before they get off the phone) is not legitimate.
- Use us. If you ever get a call or receive something in the mail that sounds or looks fishy, don’t ever hesitate to drop us a call (800-817-9223) or email. Often in just a few minutes, we can help you discern whether you’re in a situation that actually requires something from you, or whether you’re holding a 8½ x 11 inch waste of time.
The above relates specifically to insurance; below are some helpful links to avoid other types of scams.
Idaho Attorney General
FBI Fraud Schemes
Article originally appeared on Tweedy Insurance Group (http://tweedyinsurancegroup.squarespace.com/).
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