Now until the end of March is Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period (OEP). Not to be confused with the Annual Enrollment Period that occurs between October 15 and December 7th. During the OEP, companies and agents are not allowed to advertise and let you know that you have one last opportunity to change your Medicare Advantage plan. However, there are a plethora of rogue calls trying to get you to switch plans. BEWARE!!!!
My phone rings and I swipe the answer button, “Hello, this is Bob.” The voice on the other side says, “Is this Mr. Robert Adams?” I immediately grow suspicious. Maybe I am anticipating a call from my doctor’s office, I reply, “I am. Can I help you?” Then I hear, “Good morning (or afternoon) Mr. Adams. My name is _______ from XYZ company and I am calling to confirm that you’ve gotten you grocery card, your over-the-counter card, your Medicare Advantage card”, (or any other things to pull you in). At this point, I just hang up and I suggest you do the same. These calls are made to sound genuine and often use the name of the company that you may already have. Here is the tricky part, sometimes they are legitimate and from the company you have. Even with these, you have to be cautious. So, what the heck do you do? Here are some tips:
- If the call is not from your insurance carrier, hang up quickly. And for goodness’ sake, never use the word “yes.”
- If they say they are from your insurance company, ask them to confirm your Member Id number. If they can’t provide it to you, politely hang up.
- If they can confirm your Member Id number, ask them what they are calling for. A legitimate reason for them to call is to complete a Health Assessment so they know best how to help you. This call is OK.
- If this caller wants to “confirm that you’ve received ….”, the call is bogus. Hang up.
- If they say they are from Medicare and that they must confirm some information, hang up! Medicare will NOT initiate a call with you.
- You might also get some emails. Ignore them.
If you give these bogus callers an inch, they will steal your business from Adams Insurance and you will no longer have a servicing agent. It’s midway through January and I have already received a couple of calls from clients wanting help with something. But because someone switched them, I was not able to. Don’t let this happen to you. If you have a question, call me or Crystal. We are here to help you.