NEWS NOTES
PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST PHONE SCAMS
Scammers will go to great lengths to sound like a company or government agency you trust. It’s never a good idea to give out sensitive information like your Social Security number, Medicare ID number, credit card number or bank account information to someone who calls you unexpectedly. Companies like Medica — and government agencies like the Social Security Administration, the IRS or the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — won’t call and ask you for such information over the phone. But Medica does sometimes call members for a number of reasons. Here are some examples of legitimate calls you may get from Medica or a business partner making calls on Medica’s behalf: • Types of Calls – You could get a call asking you to complete a Health Risk Assessment or survey or to schedule a home health screening, o ering a disease management program for a condition like diabetes or heart disease, o ering a tobacco cessation program, o ering to help you lower your drug costs, or checking how you’re doing after a hospitalization. • Info Medica Might Ask For – A Medica representative might ask for your address and birth date to help confirm that we’re speaking to the right person. They might also ask for an alternative phone number or email address. Or they may want to discuss health information. Medica will never ask for information like your Social Security Number or credit card number. • Business Partners – This isn’t an exhaustive list of business partners, but some of the partners Medica works with include Revel, Matrix and EPIC Hearing. Just as with Medica and government agencies, Medica’s business partners won’t ask you for financial or other sensitive information over the phone. If you receive a phone call claiming to be Medica or a government agency but something doesn’t feel right, trust your gut and feel free to hang up the phone. If you aren’t sure if that was really Medica calling, you can always call Customer Service at the number listed on your ID card to find out if it was a legitimate call.
NATIONAL COVERAGE DETERMINATIONS The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) periodically makes changes to specific services covered by Medicare. These changes — called National Coverage Determinations — are then shared with health plans like Medica and are posted online for you to see. For the most up-to date list, go to medica.com/members , select your plan, and go to Resources at the bottom of the page.
30 MEDICA MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020
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