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From the bureau: Beware of health care cons during open enrollment
Scammers use Medicare, Medicaid enrollment to trick people out of money, information
By Bobby Hansen, - Better Business Bureau
Oct. 8, 2023 5:00 am
If you’re contemplating adding to or changing Medicare or Affordable Care Act (ACA) Healthcare.gov coverage during the upcoming open enrollment period, watch out for unsolicited calls claiming to "help" find the best deal.
Unfortunately, scammers see this open enrollment time as a chance to trick people out of money and personal information. ACA open enrollment runs Nov. 1 through Dec. 15, 2023, and Medicare open enrollment is Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2023.
How the scam works
BBB commonly receives numerous calls and Scam Tracker reports of fraudulent calls pretending to be from Medicare.
In some reports the target received an automated message from Medicare. After following the prompts, the call was transferred to a representative claiming to be a Medicare employee following up on requested information. The hitch is that no information had been requested.
Ultimately these callers allege that they can enroll victims in a better and cheaper plan, keeping all of the same services or even adding some further benefits. It sounds enticing until the caller claims that in order to get started with the application all they need is additional personal information. They may then ask to verify a date of birth, Social Security or Medicare ID number.
In another version, the “agent” will indicate that they need updated account information to send a new medical card. No matter how good the deal sounds and how convincing the caller seems, don't do it! The call is a scam, and sharing personal information is the key to opening up the victim to identity theft.
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 makes contact out of the blue. Healthcare.gov and Medicare provide legitimate help with figuring out which plan is appropriate. These people — sometimes called Navigators or Assisters — are not allowed to charge for their support. If someone asks for payment, it's a scam. They do not make unsolicited calls. Consumers will also need to contact them first. The Iowa Insurance Division provides free assistance at 1-800-351-4664 or visit www.shiip.iowa.gov.
- Be wary of free gifts and "health screenings." Keep a healthy level of skepticism any time a broker offers extras like free gifts or other special deals. Never sign up with a broker who offers an expensive sign-up gift in exchange for providing a Medicare ID number or additional personally identifiable information.
- Guard government-issued numbers. Never offer a Medicare ID number, Social Security number, health plan info or banking information to anyone. They are keys to your identity and to identity theft.
- Go directly to official websites. Should changes be needed to health care plans, go directly to Medicare.gov, Healthcare.gov or your employer's health insurance provider. Never click on links in suspicious messages.
- Contact an employer directly. For workplace based coverage, if an unexpected email about benefit policy is received, ask the employer about it before clicking or returning a call to make sure it's legitimate.
If you’re unsure whether a call or offer is from Medicare or after sharing personal information to someone claiming to be with Medicare, call 1-800-MEDICARE to report it. If fraud is suspected when signing up for ACA coverage, go to Healthcare.gov or call the Health Insurance Marketplace call center at 800-318-2596.
Bobby Hansen is regional director for the Better Business Bureau Cedar Rapids office. Comments: (319) 365-1190; info@dm.bbb.org.
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