BBB Scam Alert: Beware of Medicare and ACA cons during special enrollment period

Feb. 13—The coronavirus pandemic has left many Americans unemployed — and uninsured. In order to give people an additional chance to sign up for health care coverage, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has re-opened HealthCare.gov for a "Special Enrollment Period" from Feb. 15 — May 15.

Unfortunately, scammers are using this extra enrollment period as a chance to trick people out of money and personal information, the Better Business Bureau stated in a release.

How the Scam Works:

Anytime the government rolls out a change or new initiative, people understandably have questions and concerns. Scammers take advantage of this opportunity to confuse and mislead victims. This "Special Enrollment Period" is no exception to that rule.

In the fall open enrollment period, BBB.org/ScamTracker got many reports about scammers claiming to be a government representative who can help you navigate your Medicare or Affordable Care Act options. Scammers claimed to be a "health care benefits advocate" or a similar title. These scammers alleged they can enroll you in a better program than what you currently have. This new plan is cheaper, and you can keep all the same services. To get started, all you need to do is provide some personal information, such as your Medicare ID number. Of course, the call is a scam, and sharing personal information will open you up to identity theft.

In another common scam this fall, callers tried to frighten — rather than assist — victims with their health care plans. In this case, scammers claimed that your Medicare will be discontinued if you didn't re-enroll. Fortunately, this "Medicare advisor" can fix the situation — if you share personal information with them.

Watch out for similar scams in this new open enrollment period. Healthcare.gov does provide legitimate help with figuring out which plan is right for you. These people — sometimes called Navigators or Assisters — are not allowed to charge for their help. If someone asks you for payment, it's a scam. You will also need to contact them. They will not call you out-of-the-blue.

Tips to Avoid Open Enrollment Scams:

—Selecting a health insurance plan can be challenging and complex. Be on the lookout for common red flags.

—Be wary of anyone who contacts you unsolicited. People representing Medicare or ACA plans don't contact you by phone, email, or in person unless you are already enrolled. Be especially cautious of threatening calls that require quick action or immediate payment.

—Decline promotional gifts in exchange for personal information. Keep a healthy level of skepticism any time a broker offers you free gifts, health screenings, or other special deals. Never sign up with a broker who offers you an expensive "sign-up gift" in exchange for providing your Medicare ID number or other personally identifiable information.

—Beware of dishonest brokers who offer "free health screenings." Some brokers offer this to weed out people who are less healthy. This is called "cherry picking" and is against the Medicare rules.

—Guard your government-issued numbers. Never offer your Medicare ID number, Social Security number, health plan info, or banking information to anyone you don't know.

—Hang up and go to official websites. You can enroll or re-enroll in Medicare at Medicare.gov or in a marketplace health plan at Healthcare.gov.

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