Medicare won't call you

I had a retiree call me to say she is inundated with calls from "Medicare" asking for her Medicare claim number. She explained that the fraudsters are telling her they are calling and offering free eyeglasses and dental care to be added to her Medicare coverage. "I knew it was a lie," she told me. "And I told the guy on the phone, you are lying to me. Then she asked him where was his office? He told her he works in Washington, D.C. Then she asked, "Why did your phone number show up as a Sandusky phone number?" At that point, she said she told him, "You are not from Medicare, and you can't give me free coverage for eyeglasses and dental care." She is correct. The callers are not from Medicare. If the callers were from Medicare, they would already have her Medicare claim number. There would be no need to call her and ask for it unless they were trying to commit fraud. This is a scam. Here is what you need to know: • Don't share your Medicare number or other personal information with anyone who contacts you by phone, email or by approaching you in person unless you've given them permission in advance. • If you think you want to do business with someone representing Medicare, but are unsure if this person is legitimate or a fraud, get the person's phone number, name and business address, and then Serving Our Seniors can vet them for you. If that person gives you excuses as to why he/she cannot tell you this information, it's a scam. Note: Serving Our Seniors vetting service is limited to Erie County residents, ages 60 and older. • There is no program that Medicare is offering to provide additional health care benefits to your existing Medicare coverage. Hang up the phone. This is a scam. • Medicare is not calling people to send them free back braces, knee braces, medical alert devices, etc. Hang up the phone. This is a scam. Medicare, or someone representing Medicare, will only call and ask for personal information in the following situations: • A Medicare health or drug plan can call you if you're already a member of that plan; The agent who helped you join is legally allowed to call you. • A customer service representative from 1-800-MEDICARE can call you if you've called and left a message or a representative said that someone would call you back • Only give personal information, like your Medicare number, to doctors, insurers acting on your behalf or trusted people in the community who work with Medicare, like your state health insurance assistance program. Serving Our Seniors is one such agency. • If someone calls you and asks for your Medicare number or other personal information, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE, 1-800-633-4227 or 1-877-486-2048, so this can be reported. • If you are an Erie County resident and would like Serving Our Seniors to assist you in making this report, call 419-624-1856 and ask for a senior advocate assistant. We will do a three-way phone call. We will keep you on the line, call Medicare and help you report the fraud. • If you feel like you gave your personal information to someone you shouldn't have, contact the Federal Trade Commission at Identity Theft | FTC Consumer Information. Unfortunately, the FTC has conveniently omitted a phone number to use to report identity theft. Serving Our Seniors can help Erie County residents, ages 60 and older file a report via the FTC website. If you would like this help, call Serving Our Seniors at 419-624-1856 and ask for a senior advocate assistant to help you. Q&A Q: Is Serving Our Seniors office open to the public? A: Yes. We do ask for proof of vaccination. Those who are not vaccinated will be asked to wear a mask over their nose and mouth while in our office. Those who cannot provide proof of vaccination when they enter the office will be given a mask if they do not have their own. Q: Is Serving Our Seniors providing out-of-town transportation to health care appointments yet? A: We have 15 volunteer drivers willing to volunteer their time at least one day per month. We are taking requests now. Call Serving Our Seniors at 419-624-1856. We will do our best to assist you, but, due to the low number of available volunteer drivers, there are no guarantees. Anyone interested in making a meaningful difference in the life of another, by volunteering one day per month, to drive for this cause, call our office at 419-624-1856. Ask for Brenda for more information.