Senior Medicare Informaton!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AMID STORM OF CONFUSION, MADIGAN’S OFFICE PROVIDES
TRUSTWORTHY MEDICARE PART D INFORMATION ON WEB
Chicago – As enrollment begins today for the new Medicare Part D prescription drug plans, Attorney General Lisa Madigan alerted Medicare beneficiaries to the potential of fraud during the enrollment period and directed individuals to visit her office’s Web site to find reliable information and resources.
Madigan’s office has posted information about Medicare Part D on its Web site at: www.IllinoisAttorneyGeneral.gov/seniors/partd.html.
“The Office of the Attorney General’s Web site provides seniors with trustworthy facts and resources about the new Medicare Part D prescription drug plans and creates a safe harbor of information amid the storm of confusion,” Madigan said.
The enrollment period for Medicare Part D prescription drug plans begins today, November 15, 2005, and runs until May 15, 2006. Madigan advised Medicare beneficiaries who plan to enroll in a Part D prescription drug plan to take note of their current prescription drug coverage, consider whether a new plan would cover the drugs they currently receive and evaluate whether their preferred pharmacies are included in a particular plan’s network.
“Medicare beneficiaries should not rush into a decision or feel pressured by a sales pitch for a particular prescription drug plan. There is plenty of time to obtain free, one-on-one help and obtain sufficient information to make a careful decision about which prescription drug plan is best for you,” Madigan said.
Madigan also alerted seniors to various ways they can protect themselves from scam artists looking to take advantage of the confusion created by the rollout of Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. To prevent falling victim to scam artists, seniors should double-check to make sure they enroll with a Medicare-approved prescription drug plan by calling Medicare’s toll-free number at 1-800-633-4227. Seniors also should never give any caller or door-to-door solicitor their Social Security number, bank account numbers or personal financial information.
Finally, all Medicare beneficiaries should make sure not to throw away any mail they receive from Medicare or Social Security. Those Medicare beneficiaries with employer or union prescription drug coverage should not throw away any mail they receive regarding their current coverage.
Consumers with concerns or complaints about people misrepresenting themselves or fraudulently promoting the new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit should report the situation to Madigan’s Consumer Fraud Hotline at 1-800-243-0618. Additional information and resources can be found online at www.IllinoisAttorneyGeneral.gov/seniors/partd.html.
Questions about the new drug benefit or suspicions of fraud can be reported to the Suburban Area Agency on Aging at 1-800-699-9043. Trustworthy help about the new drug benefit also is available for seniors by calling the Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) at 1-800-548-9034.
Madigan’s office also is partnering with the Suburban Area Agency on Aging (SAAA) to increase training of Senior Medicare Patrols across the state. Senior Medicare Patrols are senior volunteers trained to identify and report Medicare fraud and other types of fraud and to educate other seniors. Madigan’s office and the SAAA already have conducted Senior Medicare Patrol trainings in 13 downstate communities and plan to reach 10 more communities in the coming months. Madigan’s office has received a $50,000 federal grant to increase the number of trainings and reach additional seniors throughout Illinois. |
