Oct 9, 2008 2:11 pm US/Eastern
3 On Your Side: Health Plan Re-Enrollment
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
If you or a family member is covered by Medicare Part D
prescription coverage, get ready, the pitch is in the mail!
Right now insurance companies are sending out packets
hoping you'll switch from one carrier to another. As 3 On Your Side's Jim
Donovan reports,
The re-enrollment period opens in just a few weeks.
Plans change. People change. So shop and compare.
"You will in all likely hood get marketing materials
from health plans or a drug plan trying to sell you or persuade you to go into
their plan," said Nancy O'Connor with Medicare.
She says in the past, some insurance companies and agents
have been overly aggressive in trying to sign up new customers for Medicare
part d prescription coverage, so they're cracking down.
"Medicare has put new rules in place to try to
protect Medicare beneficiaries against deceptive or high pressure sales tactics
from health or drug plans and their agents," said O'Connor.
Things like telemarketing and door to door soliciting is not
allowed.
Agents can't try to sign you up in a heath care setting.
Agents can't cross-sell products or other types of products.
Medicare says it will be using secret shoppers, listening
in on enrollment calls and looking at advertising and marketing materials to
make sure everyone follows the rules.
"Well it's a new year and premiums may be rising for
some of these plans, premiums and co-payments. So that's why it's important
that Medicare beneficiaries, not only are confident with the information they
get but that they shop around," said O'Connor.
One of the best resources for Medicare beneficiaries is
the Medicare website.
There you can find everything from worksheets and advice
on how you can compare one part d prescription plan versus another.
RELATED LINKS:
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/center/openenrollment.asp
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