Be on guard this open enrollment period
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Open enrollment for health insurance is here, and while you may need to adjust your plan or keep things the same, it is important to be on guard for those who wish to take advantage of this time of year.
The main thing to watch out for is just like with any type of scam those phone calls asking for private information. "
If they are getting calls from individuals that they don't have a scheduled appointment with that are trying to collect personal information like their Social Security number, their Medicare number, just hang up. They should not be receiving those calls. CMS, the Center for Medicare, will not be making those calls and nobody should be calling them to advertise Medicare Advantage plans during this time," Idaho Department of Insurance SHIBA program supervisor Colleen Clark said.
She adds if you receive any calls like that, just hang up and ignore them.
She said unless there is a scheduled appointment with a health insurance advisor previously set up those calls aren't what the department will do.
"There are times that we'll have an appointment with someone. So my team actually does do Medicare counseling and we will set up a time and some of those are over the phone, some of those are in person and some of those are virtual like this. But during those, the person knows who they're talking with. That was a scheduled appointment, and so then, you know, you can have somebody that you're sharing information with and you know who they are."
Clark says during the open enrollment period it is important for everyone to examine just what their needs are health wise and if need be you may decide to change or update your health plan.
"During open enrollment, Oc. 15 through Dec. 7, we highly recommend that everybody reviews their plan. This is the time where you can see what needs to. I have for the upcoming year. Our health is always changing. Our health needs are changing. So you assess this and look to see if the plan that you're thinking about are your doctors covered in that plan. So check with your providers and see if they are covered. Also, look and see if your prescription drugs are covered when you are."
She adds you may want to also check this website for other helpful tips. She also said checking with a local agent as well as they may be able to assist you and help get you on track.
Clark says that sometimes your needs might not be changing but what the plan offers to you may change so you may need to double check that as well.
"A lot of times they're changing the counties that they serve, the benefits they have are changing. So you want to make sure that it's still meets your needs. And also maybe there is a better plan out there for you. You know, we don't want to spend more money than we need to, especially during that time of our lives. So you always want to check and make sure that you're getting the best plan for you."
Clark says that perhaps the biggest danger during this time period of open enrollment is that national TV ads for plans that may not actually be offered in our region.
"We really recommend that if you are see a plan on TV or if you get calls about a plan, make sure to get everything in writing, review it with a trusted agent, or give us a call." That phone number to call is +1(800)247-4422. She clarifies the ads being run aren't doing anything wrong but just aren't available in our region.
"These aren't people that are doing anything wrong. They're just advertising a plan that is not applicable to our communities and so we just want to make sure people are watching out for themselves."
Clark says open enrollment ends Dec. 7, so just make sure you take the time to review your plans and the health needs you may have and make those necessary changes. She says you can call or visit with your trusted local agent and they are more than happy to help.
