Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Oklahoma City– Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak is asking seniors, health care providers and others in the community to be alert for unscrupulous insurance agents during the upcoming Medicare open enrollment period, which begins Oct. 15 and ends Dec. 7.
“Our Senior Medicare Patrol and its community volunteers work every day to protect seniors and taxpayers from Medicare fraud and abuse, but they need your help,” Doak said Friday in reaching out to the public. “The overwhelming majority of licensed insurance agents in the state of Oklahoma are honest and truly concerned about their customers’ best interests. But Medicare open enrollment is a time ripe for fraud and illegal business practices among the few bad actors who see this potentially confusing process as an opportunity to take advantage of both seniors and taxpayers.”
Doak urged seniors and their caregivers in particular to be wary of forbidden sales practices. Insurance salespeople cannot:
In general, agents may only discuss Medicare products during appointments arranged with the permission of the customer. Consumers should never release personal information, such as their bank account, credit card number or Social Security number to anyone who contacts them by phone or e-mail.
Doak said the Oklahoma Insurance Department is ready to answer any questions seniors may have about Medicare and the open enrollment process, and to field concerns or reports of possible Medicare fraud or abuse. Questions should be directed to OID’s Senior Health Insurance Counseling Program (SHIP) at (800) 763-2828 or online at ship.oid.ok.gov. Fraud reports should be directed to the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) at (888) 967-9100 or smp.oid.ok.gov.
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About the Oklahoma Insurance Department
The Oklahoma Insurance Department, an agency of the State of Oklahoma, is responsible for the education and protection of the insurance-buying public and for oversight of the insurance industry in the state.
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For more information contact:
Glenn Craven
(405) 522-1769
e-mail: glenn.craven@oid.ok.gov