CONSUMER ALERT REMINDER: Ohioans Cautioned to Watch for Medicare Medical Supplies Scam

For Immediate Release
March 7, 2024
Media Contact
Todd Walker
todd.walker@insurance.ohio.gov

 

COLUMBUS — Ohio Department of Insurance Director Judith L. French warns Ohioans on Medicare to watch for fraudulent Medicare claims made with their Medicare numbers for medical supplies, most notably urinary catheters, back and knee braces, and glucose monitors.
The scammers are using individuals’ Medicare numbers and fraudulently billing Medicare, oftentimes thousands of dollars per fraudulent claim. Affected individuals are not impacted financially but face a confusing and stressful situation, including obtaining a new number and card from Medicare and possible complications in receiving legitimate medical supplies in the future.

Red flags to watch for:

• You do not recognize the ordering physician’s name nor have you been seen by the physician.
• The ordering physician is located in another state.
• You receive an Explanation of Benefits document or Medicare Summary Notice document with a large quantity of supplies you have never received.
• You do not have a medical condition that would require the supplies.

Ohioans who have been affected by this Medicare scam should contact the Ohio Senior Medicare Patrol at 800-293-4767 or go to proseniors.org to report the scam and get help obtaining a new Medicare number and card.

Ohioans with Medicare questions can contact the Ohio Department of Insurance’s Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) at 800-686-1578, oshiipmail@insurance.ohio.gov, and insurance.ohio.gov. OSHIIP is the state’s official Medicare educational and counseling program.
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Protect Your Clients: Ohioans on Medicare Urged to Protect Against Scams During Open Enrollment

For Immediate Release
October 26, 2023

Don’t Get Scammed! Ohioans on Medicare Urged to Protect Against Scams During Open Enrollment

COLUMBUS — Ohio Department of Insurance Director Judith L. French is urging Ohioans on Medicare to protect themselves against scams to take their personal information during Medicare’s Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 open enrollment period to select coverage for 2024.

“With the barrage of plan options and marketing pitches, it can be difficult to discern if something is legitimate or fraudulent,” French said. “Be wary of any Medicare communication seeking personal information or money in exchange for help with Medicare enrollment or services.”

How to protect yourself:

  • Never give personal information, including Medicare, Social Security, bank account, and credit card numbers, to anyone who contacts you unsolicited by telephone, email, text, or in person, such as door-to-door sales.
  • Medicare will never call you to sell anything, visit your home, or enroll you over the phone unless you called first.
  • Medicare or Medicare health plans will only call and request personal information if you’re a plan member or you called and left a message.
  • Only give certain personal information to your doctors, insurance companies acting on your behalf, or trusted people in the community officially working with Medicare such as the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP), which is a program of the Ohio Department of Insurance.
  • Never purchase gift cards as payment for anything.

Report fraud and predatory sales practices:

  • OSHIIP partners with Ohio’s Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) to detect and report wrongdoing. The SMP provides education and response to reported Medicare fraud, waste, and abuse. Contact SMP at 800-488-6070 and proseniors.org/ohio-smp.
  • If you feel an insurance agent is using high-pressure, fraudulent, or dishonest sales practices, contact the Ohio Department of Insurance Fraud and Enforcement Division at 800-686-1527 or the SMP.

Medicare has implemented new marketing guidelines for representatives of Medicare plans, including prohibiting asking for personal information, such as bank account or credit card numbers over the phone, unless it is needed to process an enrollment request.

OSHIIP Director Chris Reeg recently testified before the United States Senate Finance Committee in Washington, D.C. on the topic of cracking down on deceptive practices and improving senior experiences.

OSHIIP representatives are available at 800-686-1578, or by email, oshiipmail@insurance.ohio.gov, and insurance.ohio.gov to answer Medicare questions.

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Ohio Department of Insurance: Consumer Alert: “New Medicare Card” Telephone Scammers Posing as Government Employees to Steal Personal Information

For Immediate Release
February 2, 2023

COLUMBUS – Ohio Department of Insurance director Judith L. French is urging Ohioans on Medicare to be alert for telephone scammers posing as representatives of the government to steal their personal information.

Called the “New Medicare Card” scam, the scammers are posing as employees of the Social Security Administration, Medicare, and even the Ohio Department of Insurance. They call their intended victims and say the person needs a new Medicare card or they need to turn in their paper card for a plastic card. The scammers then request the person’s personal information.

Government agencies, such as the Social Security Administration, Medicare, and the Ohio Department of Insurance do not cold call Ohioans on Medicare.

How Ohioans on Medicare can protect themselves:

  • Never give personal information, including Medicare, Social Security, bank account, and credit card numbers, to anyone who contacts you unsolicited by telephone, email, text, or in person, such as door-to-door sales.
  • Know that Medicare will never call you to sell anything, visit your home, or enroll you over the phone unless you called first.
  • Keep in mind that Medicare or Medicare health plans will only call and request personal information if you are a plan member or you called and left a message.

Ohioans who suspect or have been victimized by a Medicare scam should contact the Ohio Senior Medicare Patrol at 800-488-6070 or proseniors.org.

Ohioans with Medicare questions can contact the Ohio Department of Insurance’s Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) at 800-686-1578, oshiipmail@insurance.ohio.gov, and insurance.ohio.gov. OSHIIP is the state’s official Medicare educational and counseling program.

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Ohio Department of Insurance: Ohioans on Medicare Cautioned to Protect Personal Information During Open Enrollment

For Immediate Release from ODI
November 17, 2022

Ohioans on Medicare Cautioned to Protect Personal Information During Open Enrollment

COLUMBUS – Ohio Department of Insurance director Judith L. French is cautioning the more than 2.5 million Ohioans on Medicare to be on alert for scams attempting to steal their personal information during the current Medicare open enrollment period, which runs through Dec. 7.

Consumers should watch for fake Medicare communications seeking personal information or money in exchange for any of the following: to help with enrollment, to schedule health services, to sign up for a Part D prescription drug plan or Medicare health plan coverage, and to provide a new Medicare card.

How to protect yourself 

  • Never give personal information, including Medicare, Social Security, bank account, and credit card numbers, to anyone who contacts you unsolicited by telephone, email, text, or in person, such as door-to-door sales.
  • Medicare will never call you to sell anything, visit your home, or enroll you over the phone unless you called first. Also, scammers spoof phone numbers to look like a phone call is from a trusted source.
  • Medicare or Medicare health plans will only call and request personal information if you’re a plan member or you called and left a message.
  • Only give certain personal information to your doctors, insurance companies acting on your behalf, or trusted people in the community officially working with Medicare, such as from the Ohio Department of Insurance’s Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP).

Seek Medicare information from a trusted resource

As the state’s longtime official Medicare educational resource, OSHIIP is conducting Medicare Checkup events virtually and on-site across the state, and individual virtual counseling to help Ohioans navigate Medicare. OSHIIP’s Medicare experts are also available at 800-686-1578 and oshiipmail@insurance.ohio.gov. A Medicare Checkup events schedule and counseling scheduling tool are available at insurance.ohio.gov.

The careful evaluation of Medicare plan options is imperative because plans may have different benefits, out-of-pocket costs, covered prescription drugs, in-network physicians, and premiums each year.

Report fraud and predatory sales practices

OSHIIP partners with the Ohio Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) to detect and report wrongdoing. The SMP provides education and response to reported Medicare fraud, waste, and abuse. Contact SMP at 800-488-6070.

If you feel an insurance agent is using high-pressure, fraudulent, or dishonest sales practices, contact the Ohio Department of Insurance at 800-686-1527 and insurance.ohio.gov.

 

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Media Contact:

Robert Denhard
robert.denhard@insurance.ohio.gov
614-644-3366

 

URGENT: ODI Lincense Renewal Notificaito Change- PLEASE READ!

Communication from Ohio Association of Health Underwriters from 1/13/21:

Beginning January 1, 2021 the Ohio Department of Insurance will begin sending license renewal notifications via email instead of U.S. Mail.  Renewal notification emails will be sent approximately 90 days, 60 days, and 30 days prior to an agent’s license expiration date to email addresses on file with the department. 

This is a departure from the previous notification schedule, which included a 90 day licensure renewal notification via U.S. mail and a 30 day electronic licensure renewal notification. 

What Does This Mean for Me?

If your license renews in November 2020, December 2020, January 2021, or February 2021 you will still receive the 90 day U.S. mail licensure renewal notification, as well as the 30 day electronic licensure renewal notification. 

If your license renews in March 2021 or after you will NOT receive the 90 day U.S. mail licensure renewal notification. Instead, you will receive three electronic renewal notifications — approximately 90 days, 60 days, and 30 days prior to your license expiration date.

Do I Need To Do Anything? 

Yes! Make sure that your contact information is correct, especially your email address.  Please request contact information updates via the National Insurance Producer Registry’s (NIPR) Contact Change tool. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to the Ohio Department of Insurance at licensing@insurance.ohio.gov or call 800-686-1526.

Ohio Department of Insurance Virtual Medicare Info Sessions Starting 9/14/20

Press Release from 9/8/2020:

Virtual Medicare Information Sessions to Help Ohioans During Open Enrollment

Department of Insurance to provide Medicare Webinars beginning September 14.

COLUMBUS –As the Medicare open enrollment period approaches, Governor Mike DeWine and Department of Insurance Interim Director Tynesia Dorsey are encouraging Ohioans on Medicare to review their prescription drug and health insurance options to ensure their plan fits their needs and budget.

This year, Open Enrollment for the 2021 plan year starts October 15 and ends December 7. The Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP), a division of the Department of Insurance, will conduct Virtual Medicare Check-Up Day webinars prior to the start of Open Enrollment.

“In Ohio, we have more than two million people who rely on Medicare and we want to make sure they have the information about Medicare plans. We also want to keep Ohioans as safe as possible right now. That is why we moved from our in-person events to virtual webinars,” said Governor Mike DeWine.

Webinars will be held Monday through Thursday, September 14 through October 14. Sessions are available at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. each day with an additional 6:00 p.m. session on Wednesdays.

*Monday webinars will focus on MyCare Ohio plans.

To view a complete listing of Medicare Check-Up Day webinars, visit OSHIIP’s Registration page https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/4987248812118591502.

Medicare beneficiaries may also schedule a one-on-one counseling virtual session with an OSHIIP representative through our online scheduling portal  https://ohiomedicarecounseling.as.me/

*Participants will need a computer, reliable internet, and a phone.

“We want to empower Ohioans to make informed decisions about their Medicare coverage. These webinars are a great place to start planning for the upcoming year, and we are here to help consumers with any additional questions they might have,” Interim Director Dorsey said.

All Medicare beneficiaries are encouraged to review their health and drug plans each fall.

During Medicare’s annual open enrollment, Ohioans can:

  • Stay on Original Medicare and shop for a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.
  • Select a Medicare Advantage Plan, which provides comprehensive health benefits, typically including prescription drug coverage. Part D and Medicare Advantage plans can change every year.  The plan that was best for you in 2020 may not be the best plan for you in 2021. (*This is the first open enrollment period that people with End- Stage Kidney Failure (ESRD) may enroll into a Medicare Advantage plan for 2021.)
  • Determine if their existing coverage will continue to meet their health insurance needs.
  • Learn more about recent Medicare updates and financial assistance programs that help pay prescription drug costs and Part B premiums by attending a Medicare Check-Up Day.

Those unable to attend a Medicare Check-Up webinar can contact OSHIIP at 1-800-686-1578, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Information, including specific plan details, is available at www.medicare.gov.

Protecting against Fraud and Identity Theft

During open enrollment, Interim Director Dorsey advises Ohioans to be aware of predatory sales practices and Medicare scams, such as unsolicited calls from scammers asking for personal information, such as your Social Security number or Medicare number. If consumers suspect wrongdoing, they should call the department’s Fraud and Enforcement hotline at 1-800-686-1527 or the Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-800-488-6070.

Ohio Department of Insurance Granting Temporary Insurance Licenses

Temporary Licenses During State of Emergency from Ohio Department of Insurance

 

READ FULL BULLETIN HERE

ODI’s Month in Review: March

Ohio Department of Insurance | March in Review

We Are in This Together Ohio

April 3 , 2020

By Director Jillian Froment

What a historic time in our lives. Every Ohioan is working through challenges personally and professionally that we probably never thought would become the new normal. A new normal that we can’t wait to end. With Governor Mike DeWine’s leadership, the unwavering dedication of those on the front lines, and so many other hard-working and resilient people of our great state fighting COVID-19, we will get back to what we know. But we have adjustments to make and hurdles to clear first.

For consumers, insurance companies and other entities, and agents that the Ohio Department of Insurance serves, protects, and regulates, we are conducting business as usual, but working remotely. We’ve closed our building as part of the push to help flatten the COVID-19 curve. If you need to reach any of our business units please initiate that process through these channels.

To help Ohioans work through this transition, we are working to provide flexibility in a number of areas. We have issued guidance to the industry requesting they:

• Ensure consumer accessibility to healthcare services to test and treat the virus (2020-02);
• Provide health insurance coverage flexibility through employers for employees (2020-03);
• Suspend audits so pharmacies can focus on providing medicine (2020-04);
• Treat out-of-network costs the same as in-network for COVID-19 testing and treatment (2020-05),
• Not take insurance coverage action on a consumer unable to timely renew their driver license due to BMV closures (2020-06), and:
• Provide payment accomodations to insureds that are experiencing financial difficulties (2020-07).

You can sign up to receive our bulletins in this section of our website.

On the resources front we’ve created an insurance and coronavirus toolkit for consumers and the industry, and also encourage you to utilize the state of Ohio’s coronavirus.ohio.gov website. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners also has a coronavirus resource center. Finally, and as a reminder, the Governor is encouraging people with coronavirus questions that are medical in nature to call the state’s call center at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634).

At the Ohio Department of Insurance we’re doing all we can to be part of the solution. We are here to answer any questions you may have concerning COVID-19 and insurance, and I urge you to reach out for our assistance whether you are an insurance consumer or an insurance professional. In the meantime, take good care of yourself and your loved ones. We are #InThisTogetherOhio.

OSHIIP Providing Medicare COVID-19 Information
The department’s Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) is sharing Medicare information to beneficiaries as it relates to COVID-19. Ohioans are reminded that Medicare Part B (medical insurance) covers COVID-19 tests when ordered by a person’s doctor or health care provider on or after February 4, 2020. In addition, Medicare covers all medically necessary hospitalizations, including extra days in the hospital for patients who had to stay longer under COVID-19 quarantine. And lastly, Medicare will cover a COVID-19 vaccine if one becomes available. If you have questions please contact OSHIIP.

Ohio Agent and Agency License Expiration Date Extension
Insurance agent and agencies whose licenses expire during the COVID-19 state of emergency declared by Governor DeWine have been granted a renewal extension. A license will remain valid and may be renewed until no later than 90 days after the state of emergency ends or December 1, 2020, whichever comes first.

Financially Protect Against Severe Spring Weather
Severe rain and flooding has already hit parts of our state this spring causing damage. Ohioans are reminded to review their insurance with an agent to ensure they are financially protected against the different types of destruction spring weather can inflict. Be sure to discuss flood insurance with an agent. This coverage is not commonly included in standard property insurance coverage and has to be purchased separately.