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NEWS RELEASE
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Marty J. Jackley
South Dakota Attorney General
Charles McGuigan
Chief Deputy Attorney General
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For Immediate Release,
11/17/2009 |
For More Information, Contact:
Sara Rabern: (605) 773-3215 |
Medicare Part D Enrollment is Active, Attorney General Warns of Possible Scams
PIERRE, S.D. – November 15th marked the beginning of a new enrollment period for Medicare beneficiaries into one of the private plans providing prescription drug coverage under Medicare Part D. Attorney General Marty Jackley is warning South Dakota seniors to take the necessary steps in selecting a legitimate plan.
- Signing up for a plan is free, so don’t let anyone charge you an application fee.
- Never give out private financial information over the telephone unless you have initiated the call.
- The authorized drug plans are prohibited from selling products door-to-door or sending unsolicited emails.
- The authorized drug plans are also required to adhere to the federal Do-Not-Call registry and to honor consumers’ verbal requests to stop calling.
- Plans are not required to offer the same types of drugs. If a person needs a particular type of prescription drug, it is important to compare his or her needs against the list of drugs approved by the plans that person is considering.
- If a plan sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Make sure that the plan is approved by Medicare and that it will cover the drugs and any other benefits that you need. You can do so by calling 1-800-MEDICARE or go to www.medicare.gov.
- You do not need to do anything to remain on your current plan however, it is still important to review the plan to make sure it still meets all of your needs, for example: list of covered drugs, participating pharmacies, affordable premium, equivalent deductible, the provider network and any coverage gaps.
If you believe you have been a victim of a scam contact the Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-300-1986 or consumerhelp@state.sd.us. If you have questions regarding the enrollment process or with Medicare in general contact SHIINE at 1-800-536-8197 or the Medicare Assistant Programs at 1-800-695-8168 (West River) and 1-800-822-8804 (East River).
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