It is important to stay safe while choosing Kansas Medicare Supplements and when using Medicare supplements in general, as scams have become ever more prevalent as Medicare has entered the tumultuous stage of possible change.
Recently, 32 people were accused of Medicare fraud in New York, Michigan and Florida. The defendants were accused of receiving payments for unnecessary health care tests and procedures that were never received by beneficiaries as a means of milking Medicare for money to line their own pockets. This is a crime that puts strain on both Medicare and Medicare supplements. As Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuner said, “Medicare fraud is not a victimless crime. It hurts every American taxpayer by raising the cost of health care.”
The Miami Herald put together this short video about the recent Medicare fraud:
Kansas Medicare Scams
While Kansas itself has not been implicated in the recent scams, it’s important to remain on your toes to keep that as the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has a list of frauds and ways to avoid being scammed yourself. According to the FBI, “Medicare fraud can take the form of any of the health insurance frauds described above. Senior citizens are frequent targets of Medicare schemes, especially by medical equipment manufacturers who offer seniors free medical products in exchange for their Medicare numbers. Because a physician has to sign a form certifying that equipment or testing is needed before Medicare pays for it, con artists fake signatures or bribe corrupt doctors to sign the forms. Once a signature is in place, the manufacturers bill Medicare for merchandise or service that was not needed or was not ordered.”
The tips they offer to avoid being scammed are as follows, verbatim from the FBI’s own warning:
–Never sign blank insurance claim forms.
–Never give blanket authorization to a medical provider to bill for services rendered.
–Ask your medical providers what they will charge and what you will be expected to pay out-of-pocket.
–Carefully review your insurer’s explanation of the benefits statement. Call your insurer and provider if you have questions.
–Do not do business with door-to-door or telephone salespeople who tell you that services of medical equipment are free.
–Give your insurance/Medicare identification only to those who have provided you with medical services.
–Keep accurate records of all health care appointments.
–Know if your physician ordered equipment for you.
Kansas Medicare Supplement Scams
Another big way that scammers make money (often, again, from senior citizens) is by selling fake Medicare supplement plans.
These are fairly easy to spot, so long as you know what to look for. Be wary when looking for plans to fill the gap in Medicare, and try to stick to these rules.
Avoid Door to Door Sellers If someone comes knocking at your door to sell you a Medicare supplement plan, your alarm bells should be going off. It can happen legitimately, but more often than not, it is someone trying to either sell you bad insurance or insurance that doesn’t help at all.
Buy Local Medicare Supplements It’s important that you buy local Medicare supplements both to receive the best plan for your particular area of the country, but it is also easier to avoid a scam when dealing on a local level.
Don’t Repeat Coverage Sometimes, a scam will involve selling legitimate insurance but only insurance that covers something you already have insurance for through Medicare. This saves the scammer money by never having to pay out on the insurance, and you pay double for the same coverage.
Kansas has not been a hotspot for Medicare scams, and it’s important it remains that way. Keep your eyes open for the aforementioned signs, and you’ll be just fine.
