Our Ask An Angel correspondent is Arlene Petersen, Life Care Navigation Specialist in the area of senior home care.
Q With the new health care option, I am getting phone calls from organizations about participating in it. I don’t know what is real and what is a scam.
A As consumers, we have to be cautious in today’s world. It seems there are a multitude of people who are ready to prey on the vulnerable. Unfortunately, our senior population can often be a target. The new Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare, has been a beacon for scam artists. There is fraudulent activity going on constantly. My biggest advice is to be very, very cautious.
The basics still apply. Never give out your personal information. This includes your social security number, bank account, or credit card information. The government already knows your social security number. There is no need for you to give it out. Be very cautious about the type of mail you receive that appears to be from social security or Medicare. Scammers can easily duplicate logos to make their material look legitimate.
Read all the fine print when you get something in the mail. You should not have to verify your personal data. According to Medicare.gov, your Medicare coverage is protected. Medicare isn’t part of the Health Insurance Marketplace established by ACA, so you don’t have to replace your Medicare coverage with Marketplace coverage.
No matter how you get Medicare, whether through original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan, you’ll still have the same benefits and security you have now. You don’t need to do anything with the Marketplace during open enrollment. The official ACA web site is healthcare.gov. Make sure you do your homework before doing anything.
• Have a question for our angel correspondent? You can send our angel an email to apetersen@visitingangels.com or send your question via mail to Ask An Angel, 65 Woodbury St., South Elgin, IL 60177.
