The New York State Action Council on Aging (known as StateWide), a 53-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the needs and well-being of our state’s more than 3.6 million seniors, announced its Medicare Fraud of the Month for October: Scams During the Medicare Open Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7).
This initiative is a component of the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), the critical resource for older adults and their caregivers in New York to detect, prevent and report health care fraud, errors and abuse. StateWide is the recipient/administrator of this federal program in New York.
In this regard, María Álvarez, Executive Director of StateWide, advises seniors to beware of possible scams related to Medicare enrollment fraud: “As seniors search for their best health coverage options, be sure to be alert for scammers! “Open Enrollment can quickly become ‘hunting season’ for scammers,” he explained.
Possible fraud
– Scammers may claim to represent Medicare:
Medicare will never call to sell a plan. If anyone claims to be an “official agent of Medicare,” hang up!
– Scammers may request personal information:
Never give Medicare numbers, Social Security numbers, bank or credit card numbers to a caller or visitor without being asked.
– Scammers may pressure or threaten you:
Scammers use fear and deadlines. Seniors will not lose their benefits for refusing to enroll immediately.
– They offer gifts or rewards to register:
Offering gifts (more than $15) to sign up and enroll in a plan is illegal. Don’t let free offers rush your enrollment decisions.
Medicare Patrol
«If you suspect that your Medicare number has been compromised or that you have been enrolled in a plan without your permission, contact the New York State Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) by calling 800-333-4374 or visiting the website www.nysenior.org. “We have trained advisors to help Medicare beneficiaries in the fight against fraud,” concluded Álvarez.
Of note, StateWide also offers educational information and presentations, assistance with any Medicare questions, plan comparisons, appeals, billing issues, and patient rights to all seniors in New York State.
Medicare fraud is estimated to cost taxpayers more than $60 billion dollars nationally each year. To help combat this illicit industry, StateWide announced its “Fraud of the Month” program in 2022 to report these scams perpetrated against seniors.
