February, 2013
Monthly News You Can Use 

Ring! Ring! Who’s Calling Now? 

Last month we sent press releases all across the state to quickly spread the word about a new round of suspicious calls; callers
claimed to be from Medicare offering news about Medicare changes or new Medicare cards or wanting to make home visits.
Medicare officials NEVER call you to give you news or offer a new card.  So many people phoned Iowa Senior Medicare Patrol’s hotline and the Area Agencies on Aging to say they’d received suspicious calls, we could barely keep up with all the reports!

Already heard us say this before?   Read on……….we have something new to tell you!  After listening to these older Iowan’s stories, we did some research with our friends at SHIIP (Iowa Senior Health Insurance Information program) and with Medicare directly.  We found out

• Some Medicare Advantage plans (the Medicare plans offered through private companies) have been contacting people enrolled in their plans, to discuss their general health and look for preventive measures that might help improve or avoid chronic illnesses.  Representatives of the health plans call and ask for permission to make a home visit.
• Many health insurance companies that offer supplements to Medicare, are calling, asking to visit to describe the policies they carry, in order to see if you’d like to become their customer.

Iowans are wise and getting very cautious about cold calls that mention Medicare; we might jump to a conclusion that a scammer is on the phone every time Medicare is mentioned.  We just need to keep staying one step ahead!  That means if a caller mentions
Medicare, be sure to have them tell you exactly where they are calling from and what their purpose is.

• If they say they are from Medicare or Social Security and want to give you news or a new Medicare card – this is almost certainly a scam attempt.

• If they say they are with your Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plan and you are worried about  providing information over the phone or question if the call is legitimate, tell the caller that you are going to hang up and call the number on your member ID card to verify what the call was about.

• If they say they are with an insurance company, and you don’t have a policy with that company, ask them what they’re selling, so you can decide if you want to visit with them.  If you have a complaint with the behavior of an insurance
  salesperson, call SMP to learn who to contact to file a complaint.

You may contact Iowa Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-800-423-2449 or AAA name at AAA phone number to report a suspicious call or learn where to file complaints.

News prepared by Deb Yankey,
Iowa Senior Medicare Patrol Coordinator, Hawkeye Valley AAA, Waterloo, IA, dyankey@hvaaa.org

This document was supported, in part, by Grant #90MP0161/01, from the Administration on Community
Living/Administration on Aging, Department
of Health and Human Services.
Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are
encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions.  Points of view or opinions do not, therefore,
necessarily represent official Administration on Aging policy.

]]> http://www.involvementonline.org/?feed=rss2&p=4036 0 http://www.involvementonline.org/?p=4019 http://www.involvementonline.org/?p=4019#comments Wed, 07 Nov 2012 15:31:59 +0000 Editor http://www.involvementonline.org/?p=4019 Watch Out for New Type of Suspicious Calls About Medical Alert Systems

Older Iowans have been receiving uninvited phone calls

• offering medical alert devices for much less than typical charges or
• offering free gifts from medical alert providers in exchange for credit card information.

Medical alert devices, also called “personal emergency response systems” are transmitters commonly worn around your neck or on your wrist, on which you can push a button for emergency help if you can’t get to the phone.

A nationwide provider of medical alert services has alerted Iowa’s Area Agencies on Aging that phone calls are being made using a “Lifeline” name but they are not legitimate calls.   Any unexpected phone call in which we are asked to give credit card or bank account information, or Medicare or Social Security numbers, should raise a red flag!  Scam callers use names for themselves that sound very much like common businesses or organizations – so they can fool you!

If you already have a medical alert system and receive an unexpected call asking for personal information, avoid giving out information, check your paperwork at home for the phone number for the company and call them yourself.

If you don’t have a medical alert system but are interesting in purchasing or leasing one, don’t agree immediately to sign up with someone on the phone.  Research information on your own;  you can find tips about personal emergency response systems from the Federal Trade Commission, You can find out what companies provide  alert systems in your area by contacting your local Area
Agency on Aging.

This information is provided by Iowa Senior Medicare Patrol (a project of your local Area Agency on Aging)

1-800-423-2449

]]> http://www.involvementonline.org/?feed=rss2&p=4019 0 http://www.involvementonline.org/?p=3993 http://www.involvementonline.org/?p=3993#comments Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:20:33 +0000 Editor http://www.involvementonline.org/?p=3993 Medicare will Penalize Hospitals for Readmissions Shortly after Discharge

As a Medicare beneficiary or someone currently working and paying taxes that support Medicare, you’ll be interested to learn that hospitals with “readmission” rates higher than Medicare deems acceptable, will have reductions in their reimbursement beginning next month.  Almost one in five Medicare patients return to the hospital within a month after discharge, nearly 2 million persons per year.  This costs Medicare over $17 billion annually.  Government officials consider this an example of the lack of coordination in our health care system.  Statistics don’t tell the entire story, of course, and hospital officials have responded to Medicare with their concerns about this type of evaluation of their quality of care and the impact of the financial penalties. This year, Medicare will withhold $280 million in penalties and the percentage rate of the penalties will increase in subsequent years.  

If you are a hospital inpatient, be certain you understand all your discharge information when you leave.  You should receive instructions in writing about how soon you need to see your doctor, therapist or other health professional, a complete list of all medications you should take and information about whether you must limit your activities or diet.  Use the free publication from Medicare, “Your Discharge Planning List” available at http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11376.pdf or call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227. 

Sources: Kaiser Health News, “Medicare to Penalize 2,211 Hospitals for Excess Readmissions,” Aug. 13, 2012 and www.cms.gov 

Learning about Medicare’s New Preventive Benefits

Some major pharmacies are working with Medicare officials to make information easily available to their patients about the details of preventive benefits covered by Medicare.  If you are a patient of one of these pharmacies

• CVS Caremark
• Thrifty White
• Walgreens

you may receive a brochure or other information in the store, about these benefits you may not be aware of.   Your pharmacy cannot advise you whether you meet the medical qualifications for these benefits; you must check with your doctor’s office.  Anything we can do to prevent future health problems for ourselves will save us discomfort, heartache and money. 

Source: Dept. of Health and Human Services News Release, Aug. 15, 2012

Scammers are Burning up the Phone Lines to Older Iowans

Do you read Senior Medicare News very often?  If so, you might be able to “read” this article with your eyes closed!  That’s because we must inform older Iowans once again that scammers are not giving up.  The next phone call you get may be one of these. 

• The “grandparent scam” in which a young person pretends to be your grandchild who has been injured or arrested or met some other catastrophe and they want you to wire money to them.  If you receive such a call and really think it might be your grandchild (which is unlikely), don’t agree to send money.  Call their parents or another family member who would know if your grandchild is away from home and needing help. 
• Medicare calling to send you a new Medicare card is a hoax!  The caller will try to get you to give your bank account information and your Medicare number.  Under no circumstances would this be a legitimate call.   

These calls are happening all the time, all around Iowa – so folks, do not fall for these scams and tell every retired person you know, to be on the lookout.  Medicare officials are interested in knowing about the Medicare card scam calls, so you may call Iowa Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-800-423-2449 to report if you receive such a call.   

How to Verify Social Media Sites Appearing to Represent the Federal Government

The government uses social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to communicate with citizens every day about government benefits and services.  Government website addresses typically end with .gov or .mil which helps us know they are authentic sites.  But social media does not use the same addresses; you may want to check authenticity before you rely on federal government  information from social media.  A social media “registry” has been launched and is available at http://www.usa.gov/Contact/verify-social-media.shtml.  You can paste in a URL to verify the site. 

News prepared by Deb Yankey, Iowa Senior Medicare Patrol Coordinator, Hawkeye Valley AAA, Waterloo, IA, dyankey@hvaaa.org    

It’s enough to make you sick. No sooner had the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the Affordable Care Act than scam artists began working the phones. They say they’re from the government and that, using the Affordable Care Act as a hook, they need to verify some information. They might have the routing number from your bank, and then use that information to get you to reveal the entire account number. Or, they’ll ask for your credit card or Social Security number, Medicare ID, or other personal information.

The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, advises consumers not to give out personal or financial information in response to unsolicited phone calls, emails, or knocks on your door. Scam artists want your information to commit identity theft, charge your existing credit cards, debit your checking account, open new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, write fraudulent checks, or take out loans in your name.

If someone who claims to be from the government calls and asks for your personal information, hang up. It’s a scam. The government and legitimate organizations you do business with already have the information they need and will not ask you for it. Then, file a complaint at ftc.gov or call 1-877-FTC-HELP. If you think your identity’s been stolen, visit www.ftc.gov/idtheft  or call 1-877-ID-THEFT. You also can file a complaint with your state Attorney General.

For more information about the federal health care law, visit HealthCare.gov.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.  Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.

Iowa Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) – July, 2012 Monthly News You Can Use

Have You Checked the News on the Medicare Website?

You probably don’t think of checking Medicare’s website unless you have a question related to Medicare…………or maybe you’ve never visited the site.  There’s more news than you might expect.  Go to www.medicare.gov and on the home page look for “Medicare News.”  Right now there is an interesting article titled, “How We Can Stop Older Americans From Being Bullied.”  This describes warning signs that may indicate a elder abuse is occurring. It’s often not easy for any of us to ask for help, especially if we’ve been victimized.  This article may help you become more aware of this issue and able to encourage a friend, neighbor or family member to ask for help if they are experiencing some type of abuse. 

Are you considering trying to quit using tobacco?  Medicare may cover smoking cessation treatment for you.  This is a fairly new Medicare benefit that many are not aware of.  On the home page you’ll see a link for “Ready to Quit Tobacco?” 

If you don’t use a computer, ask your local library to help you access these articles or ask a friend or relative to look it up and print the articles for you.  And keep checking back on the Medicare website for the latest news. 

Think Medicare Fraud Won’t Move from Southern Florida to your Town?

Southern Florida is well known for a high incidence of Medicare fraud and law enforcement works very hard to detect and stop fraud in the area.  When criminals feel the heat is on they know very well they can move to a less populated and quieter area to set up shop.  Recently in U.S. District Court in Miami a woman pled guilty to involvement in Medicare and Medicaid fraud amounting to more than $63 million dollars.  She was one of several employees of a business which allegedly committed these crimes.  The other defendants are awaiting trial.  The business operated in Miami but expanded to Hendersonville, North Carolina.  

The business was operating outpatient mental health services and according to the indictment, recruited patients from assisted living facilities and nursing homes.  Owners and operators of these facilities were provided kickbacks for referring patients, even when the treatment was not needed or not appropriate for the individuals.  

Source: U.S. Dept. of Justice Press Release July 2, 2012

Iowa-Licensed Physician Disciplined for Improper Claims to Medicare

A doctor who is licensed in Iowa, agreed to pay Medicare and others $1 million as a result of a government investigation into Medicare and private health insurance claims she filed while practicing in Michigan.  The Iowa Board of Medicine reported in their June 13, 2012 press release, that the physician has also had her Iowa license indefinitely suspended.  According to the press release, the doctor prescribed an IV therapy that was not commonly covered by Medicare and other insurance so she submitted the health insurance claims showing she’d provided other IV therapies that were commonly covered. 

Senior Medicare Patrol advises Medicare beneficiaries to watch their Medicare Summary Notices to see the description of the service or procedure that was billed to Medicare.  If it does not match what was actually done for you, this is a red flag for an error or potential fraud………. Which leads to lost Medicare funds and can eventually lead to higher premiums or reduced benefits for everyone or it could lead to you having payment for a Medicare service denied because your records show you already had the service.  This is why it is vital that you contact the health care provider if you have a question about what appears on your Medicare notices.  If you cannot resolve the situation or have reason to suspect potential fraud, contact Senior Medicare Patrol at their statewide inquiry line 1-800-423-2449.   

Grandparent Scam Still Stalking Older Iowans

An older woman from central Iowa was targeted by a scam artist following the theme of the “grandparent scam.”  The caller was very convincing that he was her grandson who was out of the country, in jail and needed bail money.  This woman was courageous enough to do the right thing, which is to stop a minute and think, end the call and then contacted her son to ask if her grandson was in trouble and needing help.  Her son was able to contact the grandson and of course…………no trouble — he was fine!  Her son also assisted her by contacting the local police and the Iowa Attorney General’s office to make them aware these scam attempts are still occurring.  

Help Protect Young Children’s Identities

Older Iowans often read articles about how to protect their health and finances but most of us don’t want to focus all our thoughts just upon ourselves.  This article is a little different; it gives you a chance to share some important information with your loved ones about protecting your grandchildren or other youngsters that are dear to you. 

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)  recently announced their new publication, “Safeguarding Your Child’s Future.”  They begin with the following statements. “Parents do a lot to protect their children from physical harm, from teaching them to look both ways before crossing the street to making sure they’re dressed warmly for a snowy day.  Protecting their personal information is important, too.” 

The FTC reminds parents to keep their child’s personal information in a secure place and advises against routinely carrying the child’s Social Security card with them.  They mention to make sure your child’s information is safeguarded at school.  The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of student records; parents should be certain to read the notices schools give about these rights.  It is important to know how to remove personal information from computers, cell phones and other electronic devices when they are disposed.  The publication contains information about safe computer use and cautions about social media (like Facebook) and peer to peer software (don’t worry if you don’t know about this – they will!). 

For these and many other tips, direct your loved ones who care for children, to the FTC website at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/data/child.shtm. 

Prepared by Deb Yankey, Iowa Senior Medicare Patrol Coordinator at Hawkeye Valley Area Agency on Aging, Waterloo, IA  dyankey@hvaaa.org 

Iowa Senior Medicare Patrol Statewide General Inquiry Line 1-800-423-2449

 By Tom Miller, Iowa Attorney General

Want to make some easy money from home, set your own hours and be your own boss?  It sounds too good to be true, and that’s because it is!  The person who generally ends up making money in work-at-home schemes isn’t you—it’s the person who collected your up-front “investment” in an empty promise.

The “opportunities” can include envelope stuffing, assembling products at home, medical billing, multi-level marketing, “mystery shopping,” or re-shipping.  While some offers may be legitimate, most are scams.  Some may violate local zoning ordinances, state licensing requirements, state law or federal law, and a few may even involve organized crime fronts. 

First and foremost, don’t reply to unsolicited or spam “work-at-home opportunity” emails.  Treat spam as a scam.  These are almost always bogus offers.  Clicking on spam email can also expose your computer to viruses.

• What kind of work is it?  How will you be paid—salary or commission (and will you ever see that commission)?  Who will pay you, and when will you be paid?  Are the claims of how much you’ll likely earn even realistic?  If the “job” entails nothing more than you trying to find others to pay for the same “opportunity,” it’s a fraud.  If you’re supposed to cash a check to go “mystery shopping,” there’s no mystery about it: it’s also a fraud and you’ll be out the amount of the check you cashed.  If you’re supposed to earn money by “processing payments”, “transferring funds” or “reshipping” merchandise, you’re likely taking part in a criminal offense.
• Most schemes involve sending money in advance, and that’s a red flag that someone other than you is likely the one making money.  Some home-based businesses do require investments, but many are fraudulent businesses that try to collect advance payments for goods or services like shipping, “starter kits” or training materials, and inventory.  NEVER send money through a wire transfer!  Use a credit card (NOT a debit card), if possible, which offers you some protections if the company tries to cheat you out of money.
• Advance pay to you?  Be careful!  A company sends you an “advance in pay,” then claims it overpaid you and demands you to send the difference.  What likely is happening is you deposited a fake check, it will take the bank some time to detect the fraud, you have sent an “overpayment” amount to someone else, and you will owe your bank the entire amount of the bad check you deposited.
• Research the company BEFORE you do business.  Have you ever heard of the company?  Has anyone posted information about their experience with this company?  Does the company have a physical address or is it only a post office box? Check resources like the Better Business Bureau, the Iowa Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or even a search engine for reports about the company.
• Don’t give out personal information – someone who requests personal information about you, including your Social Security number or bank account information, may be trying to steal your identity.
• What’s the company’s refund policy?  Ask the company for a written refund policy.  Will the company give you a refund under any circumstances?  How long do you have to request a refund?  If you paid by credit card and wish to dispute a charge, contact the credit card company as soon as possible.

To file a consumer complaint or get more information, contact the Iowa Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, Hoover Bldg., Des Moines, IA50319.  Call 515-281-5926, or outside Des Moinescall toll-free at 1-888-777-4590.  Our website is: www.IowaAttorneyGeneral.gov.

The telephone survey is being conducted by First Market Research, based in Boston, Mass. All calls made during weekdays will be conducted between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. On weekends, calls will be made between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Response to the survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete with the head of the household or spouse.

No personal questions will be asked in the survey. Survey questions seek information such as “How long does it take to you drive from work to home?” and “How many vehicles that are usually available to the household would your family use if an evacuation was necessary?” The responses to these questions provide important information for emergency planning purposes.

The survey results will provide the County Emergency Management Agencies with a better estimate of the number of people evacuating in a given area, the number of vehicles used to evacuate, and the amount of time needed to prepare for evacuation.

The collected survey data will also be used in a traffic engineering study to identify roadways and areas with significant traffic congestion during evacuation and to identify methods to reduce the travel delay caused by traffic congestion.

Additional information regarding the telephone survey and planning for emergencies can be obtained from:

Linn County Emergency Management Agency – (319) 892-6500

Benton County Emergency Management Agency- (319) 472-4519

Kris Gross from the State of Iowa’s Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) says, “When you get health care services, record the dates on a calendar and save the receipts and statements you get from your providers. Compare this information with the summary you get from Medicare to make sure you or Medicare weren’t billed for services or items you didn’t get.”  To assist with this process call SHIIP’s toll free number at 1-800-351-4664 (TTY 1-800-735-2942) to request a free Medicare claims tracking envelope.

Once your Original Medicare claims have been processed, you can review them three ways.  Look at your Medicare Summary Notice or call 1-800-Medicare (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048).  If you don’t want to wait for your Medicare Summary Notice to view your Medicare claims, you can go to www.MyMedicare.gov.  This is a secure website where you can view your personal Medicare information.  Your claims will generally be available within 24 hours after Medicare receives the claim and processes it.  If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan ( for example an HMO or PPO) or a Medicare prescription drug plan, you may call your plan for more information about a claim.

Review each Summary Notice you get to make sure Medicare wasn’t billed for services or items you didn’t get.  If you see a charge that may be wrong, call the doctor, health care provider or supplier to ask about it.  The person you speak to may be able to give you information to help you understand the services or supplies you received.  Or, they may realize a billing error was made that needs to be corrected.

If you contacted the provider and you suspect that Medicare is being charged for a service or supply that you didn’t get, or you do not know the provider on the claim, call 1-800-Medicare.

If you have questions about your Medicare claims contact SHIIP, a free, confidential service of the state of Iowa. You can call 1-800-351-4664 (TTY1-800-735-2942), go to www.therightcalliowa.gov or e-mail shiip@iid.iowa.gov.

They cannot guarantee that everyone will receive a smoke detector, but encourage you not to wait in getting your name on the list of possible recipients. To put your name on the list, please contact Linda Scott, Office Deaf Services, (515) 281-3164 Voice/TTY or 1-888-221-3724 or e-mail Linda at Linda.Scott@iowa.gov . Be prepared to provide information on how many Deaf or Hard of Hearing people are in your household, the number of bedrooms in your home, and your contact information. When the State Fire Marshal’s office is ready to install the unit(s), you will be contacted to make arrangements to come to your home for installation.

Tax Refund Anticipation Loans and Checks

The lure of quick cash before you get your tax refund will cost you big money through high fees and hefty interest rates.  Fortunately, a refund anticipation loan (RAL), which is a loan borrowed against and secured by a taxpayer’s expected tax return, may be a thing of the past after this year.  That’s because the last bank still funding RALs has agreed to stop after this tax season, under a settlement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Consider this before taking out a refund anticipation loan:

• Fees: An RAL can cost between $30 and well over $100, which translates to very high interest rates.  Additionally, tax preparers charge their own fees on top of those that the bank already charges, which can range from $25 to several hundred dollars.  In short, RALs charge taxpayers heavily for what ends up being nothing more than a pay advance of a few days.

• Time saved?  Not much if you file electronically!  Indeed, an RAL does not always provide faster access to tax return money than the IRS. For instance, it often takes two days or longer for an RAL recipient to receive a refund.  Taxpayers with bank accounts generally obtain their refunds in just 8-15 days through e-filing and direct deposit.  Even without a bank account, taxpayers can receive a fast refund by e-filing and having their refund deposited to a prepaid card.  Most importantly, neither of these alternatives carries the costs and fees that an RAL does.

Out with the RAL, in with the RAC—Both Charge Fees that Set You Back!

With the sunset of the RAL, there’s a sunrise for another tax refund financial product called the refund anticipation check, or RAC.  An RAC is a temporary bank account into which the IRS directly deposits the tax refund.  Once the IRS deposits the tax refund, the tax preparer draws a check for the consumer and then closes the account.  Tax preparers charge fees for this service, although the cost is generally less than RAL fees.  Consumers may also have to pay additional fees to cash the check.  You can avoid these fees by opening a checking account and having the IRS direct-deposit your tax refund.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury encourages current and potential payroll card users to direct deposit their federal tax refund onto existing payroll cards.  Some workers use payroll cards to receive and access their wages, often because they do not have bank accounts.  The tax refund direct deposit onto a payroll card is safe and convenient.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)

You can seek free income tax preparation assistance through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.  VITA is designed to assist low and moderate income individuals and families along with the elderly and handicapped.  For more information or to locate the VITA site in Iowa nearest you, call the VITA site locator number at 1-800-906-9887, or go to the www.IRS.gov website and type the search term “VITA.”

To file a complaint or get more information, contact the Iowa Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, Hoover Bldg., Des Moines, IA 50319.  Call 515-281-5926, or outside Des Moines call toll-free at 1-888-777-4590.  Our website is: www.IowaAttorneyGeneral.gov.