Beware of healthcare scammers
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News from the Area VI Agency on Aging
POLSON — Medicare is not part of the Health Insurance Marketplace established by the Affordable Care Act. You do not have to replace your Medicare coverage. No matter whether you get your Medicare coverage through Original Medicare with a supplement or a Medicare Advantage plan, you’ll still have the same cards, coverage, and security you have now.
Scammers are taking advantage of the confusion over the new Insurance Marketplace and using the lack of understanding of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act to trick people out of money or their personal information. Callers are claiming to update your card, provide a new service, or even add benefits to your Medicare. They are actually only trying to get personal information such as your Medicare number or banking information so that they can perpetrate a fraud, stealing money from you or from Medicare. If you get such a call, do not give them any information and report the call to the Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-800-551-3191.
People on Medicare or Medicaid will not need to make a change due to Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, the Health Insurance Marketplace, or whatever they call it over the phone. The government will not be calling anyone to sell insurance or update cards. It is illegal for anyone to sell a plan in the new Marketplace to a person on Medicare or Medicaid, as they do not need it.
Medicare beneficiaries should, however, be aware of Medicare’s Open Enrollment period now through Dec. 7. You can make changes to your Medicare Prescription plan or Advantage plan. We strongly recommend using the planfinder tool on Medicare.gov to see if there is a better deal for you in 2014. The planfinder will show which is the least expensive for you, based on your particular prescriptions. If you decide to change plans, you can enroll online at the planfinder site. The new plan will be effective Jan.1, 2014. Your old plan will be automatically cancelled as of Dec. 31. Call the Area VI Agency on Aging Office at (406) 883-7284 or 1-800-266-4188 for an appointment in Polson, or to find SHIP counselors in Sanders, Mineral, and Lincoln counties who can help you use the planfinder, or go to www.medicare.gov if you are comfortable doing it yourself.
