Open enrollment is close, and so are scammers

Staff Report
Posted 10/21/22

The change from summer to fall signals the beginning of many events, one of which is open enrollment.While it is a time of year designed for people to make elections or changes to their health …

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Open enrollment is close, and so are scammers

Posted

The change from summer to fall signals the beginning of many events, one of which is open enrollment.

While it is a time of year designed for people to make elections or changes to their health insurance, it is another opportunity for scammers to try and get consumers to fall into their web.

"Scammers love to capitalize on times of confusion and time sensitivity," BBB Serving Central and South Alabama Communications Manager Alex Derencz said. "Open enrollment provides both of those criteria. Scammers follow the calendar, and this is a time of year that they have bolded and underlined."

Officials from the Better Business Bureau Serving Central and South Alabama want you to remember the following when it comes to open enrollment:

  • Be wary of being contacted out of the blue by people claiming to be the government.
  • Watch out for people offering you a free gift. Many times, scammers offer you a gift for enrolling in a certain plan with the caveat of handing over personal information.
  • Keep your personal information close to you. Do not give information like a Medicare ID Number, Social Security Number, etc., to anyone who should not have it.
  • Go to official websites when it comes to making election decisions, for example: Medicare.gov or Healthcare.gov
  • Contact your employer directly. If you receive a message regarding benefits, contact your employer to make sure it is legitimate.

"This time of year can be stressful, but it is not a time where you want to let your guard down and make hasty decisions," Derencz said. "The second you do, you could wind up in the palm of a scammer's hand."

If you feel that a scammer may have contacted you during open enrollment, report them to:

  • BBB.org/ScamTracker
  • Medicare.gov or 1-800-633-4227
  • Healthcare.gov or 1-800-318-2596