Senior citizens who may feel frantic about the upcoming Medicare enrollment deadline on December 31st should be on alert for scams targeting them.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has released warnings for seniors shopping for Medicare plans, states U.S. News and World Report.
In the past, some scams may have stemmed from federal rules for Medicare Advantage programs, which carried financial incentives for insurance agents, according to the article.
Though this year has new marketing rules, some may still continue to target seniors.
"There are always crooks out there trying to part seniors from their money," said Patricia Barry, a senior editor at AARP.
A person selling a Medicare policy must be licensed by the state, according to the association’s list of warnings. Salesmen are also not allowed to conduct door-to-door sales, cold calls or approach people in parking lots. Legitimate sales are done by appointments.
The association also states salesmen are not allowed to sell other products such as life insurance nor can they offer free meals or promotional items exceeding $15 in worth.
Finally, the association warns that salesmen are not allowed to be in a healthcare setting, such as a doctor’s office to sell a customer a plan.
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