BATON ROUGE, LA – With the
open enrollment deadline quickly approaching, many Louisiana consumers are on
the lookout for new health insurance plans; and Attorney General Jeff Landry is
encouraging them, especially the elderly, to protect themselves from scammers
looking to steal their information.
“Research shows that
Americans ages 65 and older are the prime targets of scams and receive more
mail and telephone solicitations than any other age group,” said General
Landry. “So our office is doing all we can to educate seniors about the real
threat of elder fraud and help all consumers from falling victim to scams.”
Ahead of the December 15
open enrollment deadline, General Landry is offering the following tips to
consumers looking for a new health insurance plan:
Medicare
· There are no Medicare sales representatives. If someone comes to your door attempting to sell insurance, it is a scam.
· The Medicare prescription drug plan (also known as Part D) is voluntary and does not affect your Medicare coverage. If you receive a call saying you will lose your insurance if you don’t join their prescription plan, it is a scam.
· If you receive a call or email claiming that you need to give your Medicare number in order to update your account or to get a new card, it is a scam.
·
Never
give your personal information over the phone or by email. If you need help
with Medicare, call 1-800-MEDICARE or go to medicare.gov.
Private insurance
· Medical discount plans are not the same as health insurance, though many claim to be.
·
The
Louisiana Department of Insurance (1-800-259-5300) can tell you if the plan is
insurance and whether the seller is licensed in Louisiana.
Affordable Care Act
· Only shop for coverage at HealthCare.gov. People who try to sign you up elsewhere may be scammers.
If you think you may be a
victim of a health care scam, report it to General Landry’s Consumer Protection
Hotline at 800-351-4889.
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