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New Medicare Drug Program Spawns New Type of Scam
Aug. 31, 2005 It is no surprise but the crooks
who like to rip off senior citizen are now using the guise of helping
them understand the new prescription drug plan to gain access and
confidence that leads to a theft of money or selling them something they
do not really want. Attorney generals in several states have issued
warnings.
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Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said her
office already has received reports of persons alleging they are
"authorized" or "funded" by Medicare to contact Medicare beneficiaries
by telephone or door-to-door to offer assistance with the new Medicare
prescription drug coverage.
The Arizona Attorney Generals offices says the scam
there is worked like this. Telemarketers and door-to-door salespeople
are contacting seniors attempting to sell a fake Medicare Prescription
Drug Benefit Card that becomes effective January 1, 2006.
In this scam seniors are contacted either by
telephone or in person by someone offering to sell a benefit card. The
sales pitch includes telling the seniors that these cards will be
mandatory and that they need a bank account number to cover the costs
for the card.
Wisconsin Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager also
warns that scam artists might impersonate someone from the Social
Security Administration and ask for peoples Social Security numbers.
Consumers should be aware that any unsolicited
personal contact may represent an attempt to scam a Medicare beneficiary
out of money or sell a product that may not be suitable.
Madigan said that because of these reports, it is
important for people with Medicare to remember:
>> Medicare beneficiaries should never give an
unsolicited caller or visitor their Social Security numbers, bank
account numbers or personal financial information.
>> No payment for a Medicare prescription drug
plan should be made before November 15, 2005.
>> Prescription drug plans may begin marketing
Oct. 1, but enrollment does not begin until Nov. 15.
>> When prescription drug plan enrollment begins
Nov. 15, people with Medicare should make sure they enroll with a
Medicare-approved prescription drug plan. To verify if a plan is
approved, consumers may call Medicare's toll-free number at
1-800-633-4227.
>> From May through August, the Social Security
Administration has been mailing application forms to people with
Medicare who may qualify for extra help with drug plan costs.
>> Almost half of all Medicare beneficiaries will
receive an application for extra help.
>> The Social Security Administration may ask for
general financial information on the extra help application form, but
never specific bank account numbers.
On approximately Oct. 15, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
will send information to Medicare recipients describing the Medicare
prescription drug plans that will be available to them.
The initial enrollment period for Medicare
prescription drug coverage will be from Nov. 15, through May 15, 2006.
This six-month period will give people with
Medicare time to learn about their options and choose what is best for
their particular circumstances.
It is important for people with Medicare to
carefully read any mail they receive from the Social Security
Administration or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services during
the implementation of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit.
If consumers have any questions related to the new
Medicare prescription drug benefit, they should contact:
Additional information is available at
www.medicare.gov.
Illinois seniors with concerns or information about
people misrepresenting themselves or fraudulently promoting the new
Medicare prescription drug benefit should report the situation to
Madigan's Consumer Fraud Hotline at 1-800-243-0618.
Madigan urged Medicare recipients to take advantage
of free, trustworthy assistance regarding the new Medicare prescription
drug coverage available through the Illinois Senior Health Insurance
Program (SHIP) at 1-800-548-9034 or the Illinois Department on Aging
Senior HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966.
Those in other states should contact the office of
their attorney general or local authorities about possible scams.
The Senior Health Insurance Program
(SHIP) in each state is charged with helping seniors with questions
about Medicare and Medicaid. Here is the
Internet's most complete list of SHIP
Web Sites and Links
provided by the
The Health Assistance Partnership,
which is a good source for Medicare and Medicaid information.
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