11/02/2022
This time, last year, Cathy worked for a health plan during the Medicare Open Enrollment period (Oct 15-Dec 7) She often spoke with seniors who had been tricked into switching health plans, sometimes losing valuable benefits, even losing RX coverage, or persuaded by callers, who claimed to be affiliated with Medicare or their health plan, to divulge personal identifying information.
If you're over sixty-five, don't fall for the commercials. They're bait to collect your information. And please, if a caller claims to be from your health plan, or from Medicare, hang up and call your health plan or Medicare directly, using the phone number on your insurance card.
Advise your your elderly family members (who tend to be more trusting) how to handle unsolicited calls, and ask them to bring you into any conversations with people claiming to be from their health plan.
If you're a Medicare member and interested in learning about different plans, attend a local meeting, or meet with a local broker. We recently met Joe Masucci, an insurance broker with Health Benefit Services in Moon Twp, and he was very knowledgeable. Cheers to our health!