Seven Insurers Suspend Medicare Marketing Following CMS, Senate Investigation
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that seven private insurance companies offering private fee-for-service Medicare Advantage plans have agreed to suspend their marketing of those plans following allegations of illegal sales tactics. According to Senate testimony, several Medicare Advantage sales representatives were found to have targeted Medicare beneficiaries with aggressive and deceptive marketing practices. Those practices are the subject of ongoing criminal investigations. Under the agreement with CMS, the seven insurers will be allowed to continue enrolling members throughout their voluntary suspension. Collectively, those seven provide service to roughly 90% of the Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in private fee-for-service Medicare Advantage plans.
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If you suspect you have been the victim of Medicare fraud, contact the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-HHS-TIPS, or by email at HHSTips@oig.hhs.gov to register your complaint.