Medicare Recipients: Beware of Scam Artists Selling Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage

Here are some tips to avoid becoming the victim of a scam artist:

• Beware of door-to-door salesmen. Agents cannot solicit business at your home without an appointment. Do not let them into your home.
• Check with your state's insurance department (available through http://www.naic.org/state_web_map.htm) to make sure the salesman is licensed as an agent.
• Do not give out personal information, such as Social Security, bank account numbers or credit card numbers to anyone you have not verified is a licensed agent. People are not allowed to request such personal information in their marketing activities and cannot ask for payment over the internet.* They must send you a bill. Once you decide to purchase a plan and have verified that the agent is licensed, you may give the agent personal information to assist in enrollment and billing.
• Verify that the plan is an approved Medicare plan. All of the approved plans are available at http://www.medicare.gov or you can call 1-800-MEDICARE.
• If you suspect fraud, call the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General at 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
• Contact your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (contact information available through http://www.medicare.gov/contacts/static/allStateContacts.asp) if you have any questions at all.

To avoid being a victim, verify before you buy.

* If you sign-up for a plan through the Medicare.gov website, you will need to provide your Medicare number.