Medicare Enrollees Warned About Deceptive Marketing Schemes
© Associated Press FILE - Chiquita Brooks-Lasure, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, poses in her office, Wednesday, February 9, 2022, in Washington. As Medicare open enrollment continues, health experts warn of increasing deceptive marketing tactics targeting seniors that could trick them into signing up for some Medicare Advantage plans that don't cover their doctor or prescription and educate them at your expense. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — The banner ad is designed to look like the government's official sports fraud filing form for the Medicare website. Celebrity TV commercials that encourage people to sign up for wellness programs that don't necessarily include their current doctor.
With Medicare registration open through December 7, health experts warn of an increasing number of deceptive marketing tactics for seniors who can sign up for some Medicare Advantage plans that are not covered by their doctor or regular prescription and are abandoned. pocket fee.
"It's a very complicated environment where people get information from companies selling their plans," said Gretchen Jacobson of the Commonwealth Fund, a health care think tank. "It's important that we find ways to protect and inform consumers."
Business is booming in the market for Medicare Advantage plans, which offer private versions of the state's Medicare program for people 65 years of age or older or with disabilities. Competition for customers is fierce, and insurance companies are turning to marketers and brokers to help them sift through the dozens of plans offered under the program.
Workers at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are on the move, secretly shopping for plans by calling numbers linked to certain online, TV, and newspaper ads posted by these marketing firms, according to agency memos sent to insurance companies last month. . The operation has spawned insurance agents who use false information to sell plans. In some cases, advertisements or agents overestimate the benefits participants will receive and the money they will save under the new plan.
Government agencies known as CMS can issue warnings and, in some cases, minor civil penalties for violations.
"CMS is concerned about the marketing practices of all companies, including third-party marketing companies," Catherine A. Coleman, director of Medicare's drug contracts and health plan management group, said in the letter.
The agency reported an increase in complaints about misleading Medicare Advantage ads last year, receiving about 40,000 out of 15,000 in 2020. Data for this year is not yet available.
Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee released investigative reports last week showing several states reported an increase in complaints about fraudulent marketing schemes in 2021.
In Ohio, for example, seniors receive a letter that looks like a tax form from the federal government promising a larger Social Security check if they sign up for a new Medicare Advantage plan. State officials also said one bus was designed to look like an official Medicare bus, but featured an advertising link to an insurance broker.
National television commercials also misled some consumers, according to the committee's report.
An ad featuring a former NFL football player doesn't tell viewers that packages will vary by zip code or that some providers won't connect, meaning higher costs for consumers, and promises to "add money to your 'Social Security check'." '."
The committee surveyed 15 states on complaints about Medicare Advantage marketing and found that 9 out of 10 states tracking those complaints reported improvements from 2020 to 2021.
"This is unacceptable for the level of fraud and fraud at Medicare, and I will be working closely with CMS to ensure this dramatic increase in marketing complaints," said committee chair Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.
In a memo last month, the government agency said it had reviewed thousands of complaints and found "many problems." In addition, insurance agents and brokers are required to record log conversations with customers so that they can be reviewed in case of complaints. CMS states that insurers are responsible for materials posted on behalf of the agents, brokers or marketing companies they contract with
In Georgia, state officials saw increased marketing around the plan and said they were getting more calls from people worried about signing up for the plan, said Christine Williams of the Insurance Assistance Program. In some cases, callers indicate that they have a plan that does not allow them to see the provider.
Those signing up for Medicare Advantage should ask a broker or agent how the plans they sell cover doctors, prescriptions and services, including dental or vision care, he said. Each state offers counselors to help people navigate the registration process.
"Ask very specific questions," Williams said.
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