It’s especially important at this time, when Medicare is sending every program participant, free of charge, a brand new Medicare card that omits all Social Security Numbers and replaces each Identification number with a random series of numbers and letters (to help protect participants from Identity Theft), to look CAREFULLY AT ALL POSTCARDS AND LETTERS IN YOUR MAILBOX.

There are many scammers out there looking to capitalize on your SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER BEFORE YOU GET YOUR NEW MEDICARE CARD. They’ll send you postcards with an attractive title like “DO YOU QUALIFY FOR A NEW MEDICARE PLAN? “ “TO FIND OUT IF YOU’RE ENTITLED TO BENEFITS, JUST FILL OUT THIS POSTAGE PAID CARD BELOW” and someone from a LICENSED AND CERTIFIED ORGANIZATION will CALL you to SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT.

How clever these people are. If YOU SEND IN THAT POST CARD, you’re inviting strangers into your home, and these people can put high pressure tactics on you to get the information they want and to make a sale. The stranger in your home may walk out with your SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER and other personal information, and you may have even signed, without your knowledge, a limited Power of Attorney document that would allow him to deduct premiums from your social security check and put money into his own pocket for a worthless contract.

NO, NO, NO. MEDICARE WILL NOT GO TO YOUR DOOR. If you really want to learn about Medicare plans or other health insurance supplemental plans, CALL OR GO TO THE MEDICARE OFFICE DIRECTLY. Better yet, call SERVICELINK AT 1-866-634-9412, to get a comprehensive list of ALL MEDICARE, MEDICAID, HEALTH INSURANCE, AND ALL OTHER SUPPLEMENTAL HEALTH ADVANTAGE PLANS.

PROTECT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER.

NEVER EVER GIVE THAT OUT TO ANYONE YOU DON’T KNOW.