Here is November’s Fraud Fact presented by the Missouri SMP

For this month’s fraud fact, the Missouri SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) wants to call your attention to changes in the open enrollment process for Advantage and Part D plans. As many of you know, we are in the midst of open enrollment season for Medicare Part D and Advantage plans.
This year, Medicare is offering you the opportunity to create your own login and password for your Medicare account. You must do this in order to save important information such as your prescription list into your online Medicare account.
While it’s good for you to do this, you need to guard that account user name and password just as you would any other personal identification and information – much like a credit card or Social Security number. That means you should not give just anyone the information to make an account on your behalf or sign into your Medicare account. Make sure you trust any individual to whom you give that information.
Missouri has the CLAIM program, a State Health Insurance Assistance Program. The CLAIM program provides local, in-depth, and objective insurance counseling and assistance to Medicare-eligible individuals, their families, and caregivers. CLAIM has certified counselors to help you make your Part D prescription insurance comparisons. It’s a good idea to make such comparisons each year because plans change. You can find a CLAIM counselor by calling 1-800-390-3330. Open enrollment ends Dec. 7.
As always, report suspected Medicare fraud to the Missouri SMP at (888) 515-6565.
This project was supported, in part by grant number 90MPPG0040, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy.