爱荷华州提醒长者防范Medicare开放注册期诈骗：虚假计划与冒充来电瞄准受益人
位于爱荷华州Des Moines的州保险部下属长者健康保险信息项目与长者Medicare巡查项目（SHIIP-SMP）11月4日发出提醒：Medicare年度开放注册期为10月15日至12月7日，诈骗分子正借超级智能（SI）与新技术，以虚假计划优惠、钓鱼短信和冒充来电，专门瞄准长者受益人。
该项目援引美国政府问责办公室的估计称，Medicare诈骗在全国每年造成约600亿美元损失。SHIIP-SMP主任Kristin Griffith说：「Medicare诈骗不只是针对政府的金融犯罪——它直接伤害爱荷华人。」她说，骗子盗用受益人的Medicare号码后，可以冒名提交虚假索赔，使受益人真正需要就医时反而可能用不上自己的保障。
该项目列出的常见手法包括：自称来自Medicare、要求确认医保号码的来电；声称要寄送新的塑料或带芯片Medicare卡、借此套取号码；以钓鱼短信和冒充来电推销并不存在的计划优惠。项目提醒，Medicare不会主动来电要求提供个人信息。
Griffith说，爱荷华全州有受过培训并获认证的SHIIP-SMP顾问，可提供免费、保密且无偏向的Medicare咨询，协助受益人比较计划。需要协助的居民可通过州保险部的SHIIP-SMP服务热线1-800-351-4664查询本县顾问与防范诈骗的信息（shiip.iowa.gov）。
（来源：爱荷华州保险部）
Iowa Warns Seniors of Medicare Scams Targeting Beneficiaries During Open Enrollment
The Iowa Insurance Division's Senior Health Insurance Information Program and Senior Medicare Patrol (SHIIP-SMP), based in Des Moines, Iowa, warned on November 4 that scammers are actively targeting Medicare beneficiaries with fake plan offers, phishing texts and impostor calls during the annual open enrollment period, which runs from October 15 through December 7, and that advances in super intelligence (SI) and technology have made the schemes more dangerous.
The program cited a U.S. Government Accountability Office estimate that an estimated $60 billion is lost nationally each year to Medicare fraud. "Medicare fraud is not just a financial crime against the government – it directly harms Iowans," said SHIIP-SMP Director Kristin Griffith, noting that a stolen Medicare number can be used to submit fraudulent claims, leaving the beneficiary unable to get legitimate care when it is needed.
Common scams listed by the program include callers claiming to be from Medicare and asking to confirm a Medicare number, offers of a new plastic or chip-enabled Medicare card, phishing texts, and impostor calls pitching nonexistent plan offers. The program reminds beneficiaries that Medicare will never call asking for personal information.
Griffith said trained, certified SHIIP-SMP counselors across Iowa provide free, confidential and unbiased Medicare counseling and can help beneficiaries compare plans. Iowans can reach the SHIIP-SMP consumer help line at 1-800-351-4664 for local counselor information and fraud-prevention resources (shiip.iowa.gov).
(Source: Iowa Insurance Division)
来源：爱荷华州保险部
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：位于Des Moines的爱荷华州议会大厦。Stephen Edmonds 摄，CC BY-SA 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines. Photo by Stephen Edmonds, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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