Medicare Enrollment: Avoiding Scams & Choosing Plans

Starting on Thursday, 700,000 seniors in South Carolina must begin choosing their medical coverage again. They can either stay with Medicare or choose one of more than 50 approved Medicare Advantage plans. Sound confusing? It is. And it's been a breeding ground for scams. Many seniors were ripped off last year, left without proper medical coverage. We show you which scams to watch out for and how to get the best medical coverage in this Seven On Your Side Consumer Watch.

79-year-old Marjorie Trotter faces a major decision. Said Trotter, "I don't know what program to go with. I've looked at my book and I thought it over in my mind, I'm just not sure."

She must choose a Medicare Advantage plan from a list of 56 plans. Said Trotter, "Oh, its overwhelming because one will give you one thing, and something else the next."

Lt. Governor Andre Bauer says many seniors have been scammed by door-to-door con-artists, posing as Social Security, Medicare, or insurance agents, who really just want your bank account information. Said Bauer, "We're sending letters out right now to all the Sheriffs across the state to inform them there's a couple, there's a $299 scam going on right now."

Bauer wants you to know there are safe and easy ways to choose a plan. For example, seniors can sign up for training sessions with experts at senior centers, such as Spartanburg's Senior Life and Wellness Center.

Said Director Pat Ruff, "They'll be assisting people who want to come in and sit down and look at the plans online and in person and help them make a decision about which Medicare plan, which Medicare Part D might be the best benefit for them."

You can register for training sessions at local senior centers by calling the Area Agency on Aging at (800) 434-4036 or ask questions about Medicare coverage. You can leave a message if the office is closed.

Ruff says seniors can examine all the plans and enroll on their own right through the website www.medicare.gov .

Or you can simply call the ICARE program at 1-800-868-9095, where you will talk to a live person over the phone, a government employee not biased toward any private insurance program. They'll find out about your medical needs and your income, and match you up with the best program for you.

You can visit the Office on Aging's website at http://www.state.sc.us/ltgov/aging/ .

On the site, you'll find a link to a brochure you can print that tells you which questions to ask before enrolling in any plan.  You'll find the link to that brochure here:  http://www.state.sc.us/ltgov/aging/docs/MedicarePartDToolkit.pdf .

Learn more about Medicare Part D enrollemt by visiting this website:

http://media.mgnetwork.com/spa/pdf/2007/111407_medicare_enrollment.pdf 



It's all designed to cut through the confusion and help seniors like Marjorie get the best health coverage to meet their needs.

The Office on Aging says the signs of a Medicare scam are sales people who:

come to your door univited,

say they're with Social Security or Medicare,

want to see your Medicare card,

say your doctor accepts their plan (you have to check with your doctor's office),

and want you to make a decision right now.