Avoid Health Insurance Scams

With annual open enrollment periods set to begin soon for both Medicare and Pennie, the state’s health insurance marketplace, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is offering tips for consumers to avoid being scammed.

When researching options online, type the name of the website directly into the search engine. For Medicare, it’s Medicare.gov, or call 800-633-4227. Pennie’s website is www.Pennie.com or call 844-844-8040.

Take your time. Look for small “Ad” or “Sponsored” labels next to search results to identify paid ads and scroll past them.

Get help to compare costs, coverage and plans. Assistance with Medicare is available through Pennsylvania Medicare Education and Decision Insight (PA MEDI), provided by the Department of Aging. Call the PA MEDI Helpline at 800-783-7067 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or reach out to your local county Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for one-on-one phone, virtual or in-person counseling sessions.

Suspect a health insurance scam? Tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. If the scam involves Medicare, report it at Medicare.gov or call 800-633-4227.