Medicare Open Enrollment runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7

This is an important time of year for Medicare beneficiaries with a standalone Part D prescription drug plan, a Medicare Advantage plan, or a cost plan to review what their 2027 coverage will look like. Before staying on their current plan, they should consider whether a more suitable option is available. 
It’s important that we enter this period with healthy skepticism against scams and deceitful practices. I used to wonder if it was too pessimistic to say, “Be aware that every contact from someone you don’t know or trust could be a scam.” 
No one wants to go through life feeling suspicious of everything. I realized there is a difference between being distrustful and being cautious. I am the best defense I have against my information being used fraudulently or having my time and money taken.
Please keep these things in mind through the next couple of months. Medicare and its representatives will never call you. CMS (the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) specifically prohibits insurance sales agents and brokers from stating that they are approved, endorsed, or authorized by Medicare, that they are calling on behalf of Medicare, or that Medicare asked them to call you. 
If someone identifies themselves as such, best practice is to immediately hang up the phone. They have begun the whole transaction with deceit - there’s no need to “hear them out.”
Insurance agents are also prohibited from making unsolicited calls, or cold-calling Medicare beneficiaries. This is important to know for two reasons. 
First, if you get a call from an unknown person about Medicare, they aren’t following that rule and that’s not someone you want to do business with. Second, if you reach out to an insurance company or agent first, then they are free to contact you as often as they’d like since it’s no longer a cold call. 
I remember meeting with someone last November and his phone rang every five minutes, each call coming from a different number. He said, “Laura, they won’t leave me alone. I wish I had never called that number I saw on TV.” 
Each year brings a new crop of mailings which look like official government correspondence and imply it’s imperative to respond. They usually explain that residents of your county are requested to call by a certain date or that you’re going to be impacted by updates you need to call to learn about. 
Take a closer look at the postcard or letter. You’ll usually be able to find faint gray small print on the back or in a corner of the document revealing that it’s actually “not affiliated with any federal or state government or with Medicare.” 
Guard your personal information closely. You are the best defense against scams and deceitful practices which may not result in financial loss but instead the loss of time and peace of mind. 
If you have questions about anything you’ve heard on tv, in conversations with friends, or received in the mail, please don’t hesitate to contact me at 320-226-8861. I can help verify if something is legitimate and you’re doing a favor to others, because when I’m aware of emerging scams, I’m able to share that with others.