12 Tips to Protect Yourself And your Health Care Benefits

If you have questions or concerns about your Health Care billing, contact Anita Hoy at the Vermont SMP:

  1. Protect your Medicare and Prescription Drug Plan numbers as you would your credit card information. Don’t give out your personal information, such as Social Security number, bank account numbers or credit card numbers to plan marketing representatives. If someone offers to buy your Medicare or social security number, don’t do it!
  1. Be cautious of talking to persons whom you don’t know about picking a drug plan for a fee or for free. Only talk with folks you know, like friends or family.
  1. Medicare prescription drug plans will have the “Medicare-Approved” seal on their materials. Watch out for look-alike envelopes or materials made to look like they are from Social Security, Medicare or approved Medicare Prescription Drug Card Plans.
  1. Door-to-door marketing is prohibited. However, plan representatives may come to your home if you make an appointment over the telephone or if you send in a postcard requesting additional information from a prescription drug plan sponsor.
  1. Telemarketing of Medicare prescription drug plans is allowed with some limitations. Plans can only call between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. You cannot be enrolled in a plan or to be asked to pay for a drug plan over the phone. Plans can request that you call them back to enroll, offer to send information or to arrange an appointment for a representative to visit your home. Any telemarketing of Medicare prescription drug plans must comply with the Do-Not-Call Registry. To avoid all telemarketing calls register with the federal “do not call” list at 1-888-382-1222 or go to http://www.donotcall.gov
  1. You will be able to enroll in plans over the Internet, but plans can’t ask for payment over the web. If you enroll over the Internet, the plan must send you a bill.
  1. Talk to your health care provider and do some research on a product and the company selling it before buying equipment, health care services, “cure all” or “miracle” products through the internet. The are many scam artists to be found through the internet.
  1. Don’t keep mail in your mailbox for more than one day. Some people steal personal information right out of mailboxes.
  1. Rip up or shred your Medicare or their health care papers and other important documents before throwing them away. Crooks go through the trash!
  1. Always read your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN), Prescription Drug Benefit statements and other health care billing statements. Your Medicare Summary Notice is the piece of mail stamped “This is Not a Bill” that comes in after you get medical care. Compare with provider billing notices. Look for the following on your billing statement:
    • Charges for something that you didn’t get
    • Billing for the same thing twice
    • Services or prescriptions that were not ordered by your Doctor
  • If it’s free, don’t give out your Medicare Numbers or other personal information.
1-802-229-4731

Or, you can call your regional SMP/SHIP Coordinator by calling The Senior Helpline at:

1-800-642-5119

Pay attention to the details and call if you notice something wrong or you don’t understand!!!