Information about the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan is in the news just about every day. If you’re considering signing up for one of the plans being offered, chances are you are gathering lots of information about your drugs, your drug coverage and the available prescription plan options, and making lists to determine your needs.
Unfortunately, not everyone who contacts you about the new drug plan has the best intentions. Scam artists also follow the headlines, and they are reportedly contacting seniors claiming to represent a Medicare Part D provider, when all they really want is personal information, like Social Security numbers or checking or credit card account numbers. They can use this information to commit financial fraud.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the agency that runs the prescription drug program, want you to know how to protect yourself and your personal information as you make important choices about your health care coverage.
To protect consumers, the law is very specific about what Medicare prescription drug plan providers may and may not do. For example:
It’s important to protect your personal information, even when you are shopping for a prescription drug plan. If your personal information – your Social Security, Medicare ID, credit card or bank account numbers – gets into the wrong hands, it can be misused. You could be left dealing with the consequences, including identity fraud or identity theft. It can take time, money, and patience to undo the damage caused by any misuse of your information. To protect your personal information, the FTC recommends that you:
To learn more about Medicare Part D and the plans available in your area, call 1-800-MEDICARE (Medicare at 1-800-633-4227) or visit www.medicare.gov. Your State Insurance Health Program (SHIP) also can point you to local resources that offer free customized advice about picking a drug plan. Visit www.eldercare.gov or call toll-free 1-800-677-1116.
To learn how to protect your personal information, visit ftc.gov/idtheft or call 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338). The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them.
Produced in cooperation with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.