Wednesday, March 3, 2004

Seniors fall victim to Medicare discount card fraud

Persons stating they are from Medicare and offering fraudulent Medicare drug discount cards are victimizing Georgia’s seniors. These discount cards have not been approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Seniors from Macon, Milledgeville and Athens have notified GeorgiaCares staff of this scam in their areas, according to Jennie D. Deese, director of GeorgiaCares, a program administered by the Georgia Department of Human Resources Division of Aging Services.

“Because seniors are such trusting individuals, they often fall victim to scams operated by dishonest people seeking to make a profit,” said Deese.

Marketing of the Medicare-approved drug discount cards will not start until April. The approved discount cards will have a Medicare approved seal. Marketing of these cards will not be done door-to-door or by telephone. Information regarding these approved cards will be available at www.Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare or GeorgiaCares, 1-800-669-8387, according to Deese.

Georgia Cares is the state health insurance assistance program that provides prescription assistance to all eligible low-income seniors for free. If you or someone you know is contacted by anyone stating that they are from Medicare, please contact GeorgiaCares toll-free at 1-800-669-8387 or 404-463-8578 in metro Atlanta, and they will forward this information to the Region IV Office of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General for investigation.

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