As the future of health care continues to be the topic of conversation, scammers are paying close attention to the news and may latch on to concerns about changes to health care laws.

As such, consumers may begin to receive unsolicited offers – by email, phone or snail mail – for new or discounted health plans or services that promise to protect existing coverage. Scammers commonly use these types of nefarious ploys to bait anxious individuals and, ultimately, bilk their bank accounts.

In one common scam, fraudsters cold call unsuspecting consumers and tell them they need new health care coverage due to changes in federal law. The caller often will go on to ask for personal identifying information such as a Social Security number, financial or insurance information.

With that information in hand, scammers easily can steal a person’s identity.

TIPS:

Do not share your personal information with unsolicited callers

Call your insurance company or Medicare to verify changes in the law

Report suspected health care scams to the Federal Trade Commission at 877-FTC-HELP

Jennifer Snyder, Head Deputy of the Healthcare Insurance Fraud Division explains the scam in the following video: http://vimeo.com/212950486.

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