by Diana Prince
Fri May 07, 2010 12:14 pm
Current warning about Manulife Financial of Niagara falls, plus general warning about potential insurance and health care scams, in an editorial from a Pennsylvania newspaper. (A brief Google search indicates that there may be a legitimate bank/insurance firm in Canada called Manulife . . . but it does not appear to be located in "Niagara falls" USA . . . and there are numerous accusations of fraud in varous locations USA/Canada (mis)using the name "Manulife").
From the Press Enterprise newspaper in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, USA.
Editor: Jim Sachetti ( [email protected] )
From the Press Enterprise newspaper in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, USA.
Editor: Jim Sachetti ( [email protected] )
http://www.pressenterpriseonline.com/premium/view.php?story=/premium/306898919746386.bsp
This story is from the Friday, May 7, 2010 edition of the Press Enterprise.
Health, insurance scams popping up
Scams are the weeds in the garden of modern life. No matter the economic conditions, they thrive. In the sunshine of prosperity and during the storms of recession, scammers rear their ugly heads, looking to relieve the gullible and, yes, the greedy of their money.
They ring our phones. Their come-ons arrive in our mailboxes. The boldest among them actually knock on our doors. And their e-mails are the crabgrass in those verdant fields of information we call the Internet.
Some scams are so patently bogus, they're laughable. They can be easily dismissed by keeping in mind that oldest and best of rules: If it looks too good to be true, it probably isn't.
More dangerous, however, are the scams disguised as legitimate business or built around issues and concerns at the forefront of our collective conscious; for example, health care and insurance.
This week, we learned from State Police at Bloomsburg of a bogus letter sent to residents in some parts of Columbia County.
The letterhead, complete with corporate logo, purports to be from a firm made to sound vaguely like an insurance company: "Manulife Financial" of "Niagara falls" (with a small 'f').
The come-on concerns a bogus "sweepstakes" for customers of various large retail chains, at which almost all of us have shopped at one time or another. To claim a prize of $55,000, the recipient is advised to call claim agents to arrange the transfer of $2,920 "for payment of government applicable taxes and insurance fee."
This type of con job – "send us money to claim your winnings" – has been around for many years.
New and more dangerous are the scams now poking up their heads in the uncertainty surrounding the new national health care reform law.
No one seems to know what's in the ponderous legislation, not even the members of Congress who voted for it.
As a result, the law, which will eventually provide coverage to more than 30 million uninsured Americans, is being used by scam artists to prey on those in need of immediate coverage and care, Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Joel Ario warns.
"No business should be attempting to sell health coverage under the new federal law just yet," Ario said in a press release. "If they are, it is likely a scam and should be reported to the Insurance Department immediately."
The state says scammers are already setting up toll-free phone lines to bilk a befuddled citizenry.
"We understand that the upcoming changes can be confusing and consumers will need some assistance to understand their new options under the law," Ario says. "But consumers should be wary of any door-to-door sales pitch or an offer to help them enroll. Do not sign anything or offer any payment until you are sure you know all the facts."
There are key provisions of the new law that will take effect this year:
ð Some people who have been uninsured and who have a pre-existing medical problem may be able to buy health insurance through a new federally funded program.
ð Many parents will be able to keep their dependent children on their health insurance policies until the child turns 26.
ð New health insurance policies will be required to cover preventive health services with no cost-sharing for the covered individual.
However, it's unlikely that any of the outreach for these new programs will be conducted by door-to-door sales people. Be wary; try to deal only with institutions and people you know and trust.
To learn more, visit http://www.insurance.pa.gov and click on "Health Care Reform & You" or call 877-881-6388.
