Hello, Toni Buffington with Medicare Solutions. I’m just doing this quick video to kind of do a shout out to all of you out there who are maybe my clients or on a Medicare Advantage plan.
I had a client call me today who has been a client for a number of years, and we had her on a specific plan for a very good reason. She received a phone call from a gentleman at a company who led her to believe they were affiliated with Medicare. He said he could get her a healthy food card, so free money for food, basically. She doesn’t qualify for that because she makes way too much money, but she should enough interest that he transferred her to a telesales agent by the name of Samantha. Samantha didn’t ask her about her doctors. She didn’t ask her about the prescription drugs she takes. So, my client didn’t know really what was going on or what plan they were going to move her to, but Samantha made her these promises that it would lower her copays at doctor office visits and that it would lower her copays for out-of-pocket hospital stays. Well, that’s all fine and dandy, but now her doctor’s out of network on this HMO plan that Samantha wrote her on and now she can no longer go to this trusted doctor that she’s used forever and ever.
If I’ve told my clients once, I’ve told them a thousand time, please don’t get victimized by these people calling you. The reason you’re getting so many calls right now is anybody who is on a Medicare Advantage plan can make a one-time change from now to the end of March. So beware!
Do not let these people change your plans without talking with your trusted health insurance plan advisor first. If they are a broker, they are offering everything that these people are calling you about and they’re going to look out for your best interest, not their own.
If you feel you’ve been victimized, make sure you get that agent’s name, number, and the company they are affiliated with and call Center for Medicare Services (CMS) at 1-800-MEDICARE and file a complaint against them. This is the only thing that will stop all this misleading representation when it comes to Medicare health plans out there.
Be safe. Hope this helps. DON’T BE A VICTIM.