New Medicare cards are breeding ground for scammers
Medicare beneficiaries should have received notice, or at least have read about, that the current 50 million seniors and an additional 9 million people with serious disabilities will receive new Medicare cards over the next year. These cards will replace the traditional white card with red and blue stripes that are imprinted with beneficiary’s Social Security number. Cards with Social Security numbers have long been considered an identity theft risk, especially after we were cautioned not to carry our Social Security cards any longer. A Medicare card, along with a driver’s license, makes it very easy for a thief to steal one’s identity.
An article in the Washington Post quoting from Kaiser Health News speaks about some ways that scammers for many years have preyed on seniors by calling and requesting their Medicare number. People who fell for this have had bank accounts cleaned out, Social Security payments diverted, or received bills for items that they never requested or received. (https://khn. org/news/everything-youneed-to-know-about-thenew-medicare-cards-butbeware-of-scams/). The new Medicare cards try to eliminate the “low hanging fruit” for scammers by replacing the Social Security number on the cards with a randomly generated 11 digit Medicare number for consumers to use for services and billing purposes. Both your old card and new card should work until Dec. 31, 2019.
The new cards will be sent out on a rolling basis over 12 months, starting April, 2018. Consumers in Pennsylvania will be among the first to receive the mailings between this April and June. If you think that Social Security might not have your current address, call 1-800-772-1213 or check your Social Security account online. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, do not discard your current ID card; this roll out does not affect Advantage plan cards, Part D prescription plan cards, or Medicare supplement cards.
When you receive your new card, do not just throw it in the trash. Shred the old card or spend time cutting it up with scissors so that the Medicare number is unreadable. Do not discard your old card until you receive your new card.
Whenever there are changes that involve seniors, there will be bumps in the road at first. Unfortunately, change and resulting confusion is prime breeding ground for scam artists who have already begun their campaign to obtain information on seniors. The AARP and senior Medicare Patrol groups have been receiving fraud reports since last year. For instance, in California, callers claiming to represent Medicare or some other government agency are demanding information on bank accounts so as to arrange for a direct deposit of funds from Medicare. Another example out of California is a call to a beneficiary stating that Medicare was issuing new cards and the caller needed to verify
KID’S MOVIE CLUB
Third Saturdays of the month: The Centre Theater will launch the new Kid’s Movie Club on the first floor in a newly renovated space that holds 40 movie-goers. On the third Saturday of every month beginning at 10:30 a.m. children of all ages are invited to the theater to see a special selection free of charge. All children must be accompanied by an adult. The Centre Theater is located at 208 DeKalb St. in Norristown. There is free parking on the street and a parking garage less than a hundred yards away from the theater. Movies are free and you can bring your own snacks. Water and juice will be available for purchase. For more information and to reserve your seats please send an email to centretheater@gmail.com.
NEW BEGINNINGS
First Wednesday of each month : NEW BEGINNINGS is an organization formed the beneficiary’s current information, including name, address and Social Security number. The person who reported this indicated that the original caller put his “supervisor” on the phone who then pushed for the information in the name of the government. Someone else reported telephone calls where the caller said that consumers must pay for a temporary card.
These are just a few examples of scams. The AARP tells us that a Medicare representative will never contact an older adult by phone or email about the new cards. Do not give any information out to someone who calls and claims to be from Medicare. If you suspect fraud, report to the FTC, AARP’s fraud helpline (1-877-908-3360) or to your to afford anyone,who is widowed, the opportunity to associate with people from similar circumstances, in a supportive environment through activities, events and friendship. Meetings are usually held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at St. Helena’s Parish, 1489 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell on the first Wednesday of each month,except March, June, July and August. If you have any questions, please contact Betty Fiorani at 610-6509133.
WEEKLY WEDNESDAY BINGO
Every Wednesday: Bingo is held at Presentation of Our Lord Church, 1564 Allentown Rd, Lansdale. Doors open at 5:00 with food available for purchase and the games now begin at 6:30. Questions 215362-9599.
LITERACY COUNCIL
TUTORING: Are you an adult needing help with reading, writing, math, GED preparation or English language skills? The Literacy Council local Senior Medicare Patrol. of Norristown offers instruction at little or no cost. For details, call 610-292-8515 or visit our website: www. LcnLit.org.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY NORRISTOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY
Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library, 001 Powell St., Norristown, PA 19401. Contact: 610-2785100.
HOMEWORK HELPERS
Tuesdays and Thursdays through June 8: Homework Helpers – 5:00 pm – Bilingual volunteers are available to help students with homework. For kids in grades K-6. Drop in.
PRE-K ADVENTURES TUESDAYS THROUGH MAY 8:
At 10:30 am – Activities are aimed at developing skills for Kindergarten, with stories, crafts, fun movement songs, and hands-on activities. For children ages 3-1⁄2 to 5 and their caregivers. Drop in. No session on March 27.