The following are current news articles about health care and fraud issues.

 Health Care Fraud:

  

1. "Open Season for Identity Thieves" (FTC) 

2. "Centralia Man Sentenced for Defrauding Taxpayers" (FBI)

4. "FTC Rings Up Its 2014 List of Holiday Shopping Tips" (FTC)

5. "Phone Scammers Lie About Getting Money Back" (FTC)

6. "ID Thieves Love These Everyday Numbers" (AARP)

Dear SMP Readers, 

 

This week's Fraud Alert contains tips for how to check that the person calling you is who they say they are, a video interview with SMP partner Cheryl Lockwood, and ideas for sharing fraud information over the holidays.

 

Have a great weekend!

A caller to the SMP hotline was getting calls from someone who said they were a care coordinator with their managed care plan. We were asked how can someone know if this is a legitimate call.

• Ask for the caller's name, the name of the company they represent, and a number to reach them at later. 
• Then, hang up and call the company they claim to be from with a number you already have or can easily confirm. For example, if you belong to a managed care plan, you should have enrollment information or statements from that plan. Look on those documents for contact information. 
• If you get a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS or other government agency, this is a red flag for a scam. You can find federal, state, and local government numbers at www.usa.gov.
• If your health care plan, bank, or the IRS really needed to call you, would they need any sensitive personal information like your social security number, Medicare number, or bank account? No. They already have that information and would not ask for it. Never give this information to a stranger.
• Do not trust your caller ID. It is very easy for a scammer to "spoof" your caller ID and make it seem as if they are calling from a company or government agency. Never let that be your only way of verifying the identity of a caller.

Do not be afraid to ask these questions. Most companies would understand your concern and be happy to comply as you check that they are who they say they are. For more information, visit the FTC Phone Scams page.

Cheryl Lockwood, the SMP coordinator at the Northeastern Illinois Area Agency on Aging, recently appeared on the weekly web show Conversations in Care (http://www.conversations-in-care.com). In the interview, Cheryl talked about health care fraud and what people can do to prevent, detect, and report fraud. 

This week AgeOptions released its annual Home for the Holidays press release, which encourages families, caregivers, and friends to check in with older loved ones during this holiday season. Here are few topics you may want to talk about:

• Medicare Open Enrollment ends December 7. This is a time for people on Medicare to review and choose their 2015 Part D or Medicare Advantage coverage. Read more in this SMP article. 
• Is your loved one checking their Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs)? Share our SMP How to Read an MSN handout. 
• Share the stories in this or past Fraud Alerts. You can watch the video together or talk about how to verify phone calls. Past Fraud Alerts can be found on our website.
• If your loved one needs further services, you can find local senior service agencies at 
  www.eldercare.gov