Nevada Attorney General Brian Sandoval has reminded consumers to be alert with regard to scams related to the new Medicare prescription discount drug cards made available to consumers under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act.
The cards allow qualifying seniors to obtain discounts of 10 to 25 percent on medications. The prescription drug program took effect June 1, and providers began selling the discount cards the first week in May. There are about 70 different national and state plans operated by private companies that have been approved to offer the discount cards.
The federal government estimates that more than 7 million seniors are expected to enroll in the discount card program. According to Consumer Advocate Timothy Hay, “A huge number of potential first-time customers means the potential market for scam artists is enormous as well.”
Recently, some states have reported receiving complaints that low income seniors qualifying for financial assistance have been contacted by con artists and told they must provide personal banking information in order to place the promised $600 prescription drug credit into their accounts. Other complaints involve illegal use of government logos by discount card sellers who are not authorized to take part in the Medicare program.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, offer the following guidelines for your protection, and seniors should ask these questions before signing for a drug discount card: