Protect Your Medicare Account During Open Enrollment Period
In 2024, Medicare fraud ballooned to an estimated $100 billion each year. This increase in fraud and abuse impacts the Medicare Trust Fund and increases costs to beneficiaries.
During Medicare Open Enrollment—which runs Oct 15 through December 7 each year—beneficiaries experience a higher volume of scams, especially unauthorized enrollments. Unauthorized enrollments can lead to a change in benefits that can affect things like drug coverage and can cause denials for services and treatments, which can be life-threatening.
Below are some red flags Medicare beneficiaries can look out for to protect themselves (and the Medicare Trust Fund) from scams during this year’s Open Enrollment:
- Callers claiming to be with Medicare, asking to verify your information: Medicare will never call a beneficiary asking for personal information, including your Medicare number—hang up immediately and report the strange call to the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) at 1-800-351-4664.
- Insurance Agents asking for your Medicare number, Social Security Number, or Banking Information: If you are requesting verification of your eligibility for a Medicare advantage plan, all you need to verify is your age and your zip code, since MA plans vary from county to county. Help prevent unauthorized enrollments, NEVER give your Medicare number to anyone who you don’t know.
- Unsolicited text messages or phone calls offering assistance with plan comparisons: Beware of text messages or calls from agents, insurance companies, and people claiming to be with Medicare—especially those that pressure you to enroll right away or offer gifts to enroll in a plan. For free, objective, and secure plan comparisons contact Medicare at 1-800-633-4227 or Iowa SHIIP/ SMP at 1-800-351-4554 to schedule a comparison before December 7!