The Medicare Open Enrollment Period is a time when dishonest salespeople will try to get vulnerable seniors to buy insurance, without understanding exactly what they're buying. Some real-life examples:
- An insurance agent visited a senior living residence, and went door-to-door trying to sell seniors Medicare Advantage plans.
- A salesman parked his company van in a grocery store parking lot, set up a table, and gave away free t-shirts and mugs to seniors who signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan.
Both of these tactics are not only dishonest but also illegal, says Fred Riccardi, director of programs and outreach for the Medicare Rights Center (www.medicarerights.org), a non-profit organization that helps people understand the Medicare system.
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