The calls start about 7 a.m. and continue until 6 or 7 p.m. On a recent afternoon, Steven Kurutz flipped through his phone’s call log. They were coming about every 14 minutes: 10:39 a.m., 11:03, 11:06, 11:25, 11:37, 11:55, 12:06, 12:18.
When Mr. Kurutz, 80, answered, a recorded message asked about his Medicare coverage.
“My name is Laura from health care,” a chipper voice said. “We’re reaching out to seniors to ensure any unclaimed additional Medicare benefit. You have Medicare Parts A and B, right?”
This call, like most others, claimed to offer Medicare Part C, a type of private insurance, usually marketed as Medicare Advantage, that augments Part A, which covers hospitalization, and Part B, which covers outpatient services. Mr. Kurutz, who lives in South Park Township, Pa., already had the equivalent of a Part C plan. It was included in his retirement package with General Motors, which employed him as a truck repairman for 32 years.
After he pressed 1 for yes, a muffled male voice mumbled something about Medicare parts.
“I’ll be truthful with you, sir,” Mr. Kurutz said. “I can understand about every third or fourth word you’re saying.”
The person at the other end hung up. Eight minutes later, Mr. Kurutz’s phone buzzed with another unfamiliar number. His daughter, Daveen, said he receives between 50 and 60 calls each weekday.
Seniors have long been targeted by fraudsters claiming to offer enhanced Medicare plans or to be Medicare officials. Scammers phish for enough information to steal their identities or use their information to charge Medicare for bogus services from fake companies. The calls increase during the annual open enrollment period, Oct. 15 to Dec. 7.
Click Here For The Original Source.
