SMP Corner
By Tina Marie Higdon, PCOA Medicare Program Coordinator The Louisiana Department of Insurance recently published a story of scammers posing as insurance agents hoping to get commissions from booking beneficiaries into new plans. Unfortunately, this is not new to Pima County. The annual open enrollment period ending in December with the flurry of ads, calls, and increased confusion has opened beneficiaries up to these types of scams. We are in the General enrollment period which runs from January 1 to March 31, and this is the time to review your Medicare Advantage plans that started January 1st and decide if this is the best plan for your needs. This is also the time for increased vigilance. What can you do to protect yourself? • Do not engage with unsolicited or cold calls from anyone that wants to talk about Medicare insurance. • Do not give these callers your name, Medicare number, Social Security number, or any personal information. • If you receive one of these calls and answer, ask for their name, license number, then call your local Scammers posing as Insurance agents
SHIP or SMP program (PCOA) to report the call. • If you discover your plan has been switched without your knowledge, call your local SHIP program at PCOA so we can assist with having your plan switched back. • If you have questions about Medicare, contact a trusted and
unbiased community partner like PCOA’s SHIP and SMP programs. PCOA SHIP 520-546-2011 SMP 520-790-7573 x2017 SLAM THE SCAM BEFORE IT SLAMS YOU
Page 6 | January 2022, Never Too Late
Pima Council on Aging
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