Open enrollment for Medicare coverage is Oct. 15-Dec. 7 and is the time of year when people can enroll in a health insurance plan for the following year. This has proven to also be a peak time for Medicare impostors to try to confuse and mislead victims who are focused on selecting their plans.
While the attempts vary, BBB has seen many reports of calls and emails designed to gain access to someone's personal information or accounts. The person reaching out typically claims to be a government representative who can help you navigate your Medicare options. They'll often pretend to be a "health care benefits advocate" or use a similar title.
They also typically claim they can enroll you in a better program than what you currently have. They'll allege that their new plan is cheaper, and you can keep all the same services. But to get started, they'll need to collect some personal information, such as your Medicare ID number. Unfortunately, if you are dealing with a scammer, sharing personal information will open you up to identity theft.
In another twist, callers may try to use high-pressure tactics to frighten someone into giving out personal information. A common scenario being reported involves scammers who claim your Medicare will be discontinued if you don't re-enroll, but say they are a "Medicare advisor" who can fix the situation. Yet again, this is a ploy to get you to share personal information with them.
Tips to avoid open enrollment scams
Selecting a health insurance plan can be challenging and complex. Be on the lookout for common red flags.
Be wary of anyone who contacts you unsolicited. Healthcare.gov and Medicare do 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.
Be wary of free gifts and "health screenings." Keep a healthy level of skepticism any time a broker offers you free gifts 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. Other times, brokers offer free "health screenings" 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, Social Security number, health plan info or banking information to anyone you don't know.
Go directly to official websites. If you want to make changes to your health care plan, go directly to Medicare.gov, Healthcare.gov or your employer's health insurance provider. Don't click on links in suspicious messages.
Contact your employer directly. If you receive an unexpected email about benefits policies, ask your employer about it before you click on anything to make sure it's legitimate.
For more information
If you are unsure whether a call or offer is from Medicare, or you gave your personal information to someone claiming to be with Medicare, call 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227) to report it. If you suspect fraud when signing up for Affordable Care Act coverage, go to HealthCare.gov or call the Health Insurance Marketplace call center at 800-318-2596.
Get more tips from BBB on avoiding health care scams. If you've been the victim of a scam, please report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker. By sharing your experience, you can help others avoid falling victim to similar scams.
BBB's Shred Day
BBB is hosting our free bi-annual Shred Day in partnership with the Times Free Press, River City Shredding, Resource 1 Tier 3 Data Security and the Hamilton County Coalition Saturday, Oct. 22, from 9 a.m. to noon. Shredding will end earlier if trucks fill up.
The event will be held in Coca-Cola Bottling Co.'s parking lot at 2111 W. Shepherd Road in Chattanooga, which is located just off exit 1A (Airport exit) from Highway 153.
This is an opportunity for residents to have sensitive documents shredded, hard drives destroyed, electronics recycled and unneeded prescription drugs dropped off for safe disposal. Please limit documents to three large trash bags per person. For more information, visit bbb.org/Chattanooga.
Michele Mason is president of the Better Business Bureau in Chattanooga.