Beware of health care cons during open enrollment

If you are adding or changing your Medicare or Healthcare.gov coverage during open enrollment, watch out for unsolicited calls claiming to "help" you find the best deal. Unfortunately, scammers see this open enrollment period as a chance to trick people out of money and personal information.

Open enrollment for Medicare runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7 (Medicare). Medicare Advantage open enrollment is from Jan. 1 to March 31 or within three months of getting Medicare. Healthcare.gov open enrollment will begin Nov. 1, and Dec. 15 is the last day to enroll or change plans for coverage starting Jan. 1, and Jan. 15 is the last day to enroll for coverage starting Feb. 1.

How the scam works

BBB Scam Tracker frequently receives reports of scam calls and texts pretending to be from Medicare. One local consumer said they saw a Facebook ad about subsidized health care payments and decided to call the number listed.

“The person who answered claimed to be with Enhance Healthcare. She asked me a series of questions, which I answered, until she requested my Social Security number. At that point I said I did not want to provide it.”

The consumer said the caller kept insisting and even said she was with a government entity and could transfer them to a more secure line but that she could not help them without it. She also told the consumer they were already qualified, which made the pressure even stronger.

If you stay on the line, these callers allege they can enroll you in a better plan than what you currently have, according to Scam Tracker reports. This new plan is cheaper, and you can keep all the same services. To get started, all you need to do is provide some personal information such as your Medicare ID number and your Social Security number.

No matter how good the deal sounds and how convincing the caller seems, don't do it. The call is a scam, and sharing personal information will expose you to identity theft.

Tips to avoid open enrollment scams

Selecting a health insurance plan can be challenging and complex. Be on the lookout for common red flags.

Be wary of anyone who contacts you out of the blue. Healthcare.gov and Medicare provide legitimate help for determining which plan is right for you. These people — sometimes called navigators or assisters — cannot charge for their support. If someone asks you for payment, it's a scam. You also will need to contact them on your own. They will not call you first.

Be wary of free gifts and "health screenings." Keep a healthy level of skepticism any time a broker offers you free gifts or other special deals. Never sign up with a broker who offers you an expensive sign-up gift in exchange for providing your Medicare ID number or additional personally identifiable information. Other times brokers offer free "health screenings" to weed out people who are less healthy. This technique is called "cherry picking" and is against Medicare rules.

Guard your government-issued numbers. Never offer your Medicare ID number, Social Security number, health plan info or banking information to anyone you don't know.

Go directly to official websites. If you want to make changes to your health care plan, go directly to Medicare.gov, Healthcare.gov or your employer's health insurance provider. Don't click links in suspicious messages.

Contact your employer directly. If you receive an unexpected email about benefits policies, ask your employer about it before you click anything to make sure it's legitimate.