Consumer Alert

Affordable Care Act Scams Targeting Medicare Beneficiaries

The Consumer Protection Unit of the Alaska Attorney General’s Office has received reports that scammers are contacting Medicare beneficiaries in Alaska, attempting to obtain personal and financial information.

The scammers often claim that beneficiaries will need new Medicare cards due to “Obamacare,” or the Affordable Care Act, and ask for personal information, Medicare numbers, and bank account information. The callers may already have some personal information about the beneficiaries they are contacting, and reports allege they are using harassment, abusive conduct, and false threats to cut off Medicare benefits.

The State of Alaska, Medicare Information Office has confirmed the Medicare program does not contact anyone by telephone, text, email or door-to-door solicitations requesting personal or bank account information.

Tips for Consumers

• Never give your personal, healthcare, or financial information out over the telephone, by mail, or by email unless you initiate the contact and know who you are dealing with.
• If you believe your Medicare information has been compromised, or have questions about Medicare benefits, contact the State of Alaska, Medicare Information Office at (907) 269-3680, or toll-free at (800) 478-6065.
• If you have given out your bank account information in response to a scam, or believe your account information has been compromised, contact your financial institution.
• If you believe your personal information may have been compromised, review the information provided by the Federal Trade Commission about monitoring for identity theft.
• For information about the Affordable Care Act, visit the official federal government website at www.healthcare.gov or call (800) 318-2596.
• Visit the Federal Trade Commission website to learn more about health care scams.

If you think that a business is engaging in unfair or deceptive conduct, you can file a consumer complaint with the Alaska Attorney General's Office.

Consumer Protection Unit
November 2013