BATON ROUGE, La. – Those looking to commit fraud are constantly inventing new ways to take advantage of people. Unfortunately, scammers can be very determined and will go out of their way to gain your trust.
According to the National Council on Aging, one in 10 Americans over age 60 can become the victim of fraud each year. Plus, there is a significant increase in scams targeting Medicare beneficiaries during the annual enrollment period, which lasts through Dec. 7.
In this video, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana’s manager of Federal Investigations, Kandyce Cowart, shares some tips to help stop scammers during annual enrollment and any time of the year.
Here are some things to look out for to avoid becoming a victim of fraud:
Phone calls from people who say they are from Medicare or the federal government and ask you to verify or give them your Medicare number
An agent who uses misleading or high-pressure sales tactics to get you to enroll in a certain plan
For some fraud-fighting tips anyone can use, watch this video featuring Blue Cross Medical Director Dr. Larry Simon.
If you think you may have been the victim of fraud or have been approached by a scammer, be sure to report it immediately. Blue Cross members should call our fraud hotline at 1-800-392-9249 or email fraud@bcbsla.com. If you aren’t a Blue Cross member, you can call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Founded in New Orleans in 1934, we are a tax-paying nonprofit health insurer with offices in every major region to serve our customers. We were recognized in 2019 and 2020 as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. We are a private mutual company, owned by our policyholders, with an independent Louisiana Board of Directors and no shareholders. We invite all Louisianians to visit our website at www.bcbsla.com or talk to us on social media.