Rob Ferrett and Veronica Rueckert talk with Malcolm Gladwell about the benefit of being an underdog. Then, they’ll talk to a political scientist to get the latest on the potential deal to avoid a default. We’ll also find out how to avoid health care scams under the Affordable Care Act.
Featured in this Show
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Avoiding Health Care Scams Under Affordable Care Act
The new health care exchanges went into action this month under the Affordable Care Act, but some scams are quickly followed in their wake.
Richard Eisenberg, editor of the “Money” channel for the PBS website NextAvenue.com, said that con artists are trying to exploit confusion surrounding the Obamacare exchanges to get to people to divulge their private financial information.
He said many scams take the form of an unsolicited phone call or email. In some cases, the victims are told that they need to apply for an Affordable Care Card to be able to apply for insurance — when no such card exists. Other thieves pose as government employees aiming to confirm Social Security numbers for health care exchanges.
“Any time somebody’s asking you for private information that’s relating to your finances or Social Security, that’s a red flag,” Eisenberg said.
In another scheme, the perpetrators pose as health care “navigators.” While there are real navigators around the country to help people find insurance, the fake ones collect personal financial information and might charge hundreds of dollars for their fraudulent services.
“In reality, navigators do not charge, they’re not allowed to, “ Eisenberg said. “You shouldn’t be getting a call like that, it’s up to you to find the navigators.”
He said the healthcare.gov website is a good place to start in looking for an actual health care navigator. Local governments can also provide assistance in finding a navigator, he said.
Eisenberg said fake websites have been spotted, claiming to be official health care exchanges. In one instance, a “Pennsylvania Health Exchange” turned out to be run by a private insurance broker. It was subsequently shut down by regulators.
He said seniors are a common target for the above scams, as well as one targeting Medicare recipients, who are told that they must give their Social Security numbers to keep their Medicare coverage. He said children of older parents should check in to help prevent scams.
“If your parents are over 65, you want to say to them, they don’t need to worry about everything they’re hearing regarding the Affordable Care Act because that does not apply to people who are on Medicare,” he said.
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Malcolm Gladwell's New Book Tackles The Science Of Underdogs
Malcolm Gladwell discusses his latest book, “David and Goliath”, which deals with the science behind underdogs and “the art of battling giants.”
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Potential Deal To Avoid Default
Reports are coming in that leaders in the U.S. Senate have reached a deal to avoid a default and reopen the government. A political scientist explains what this deal could mean and how the House of Representatives might handle it.
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Avoiding Health Care Scams Under The Affordable Care Act
With the new health care exchanges comes a round of new health care scams. Central Time’s guest shares advice on how to tell fraudulent offers from the real deal.
Episode Credits
- Rob Ferrett Host
- Veronica Rueckert Host
- Galen Druke Producer
- Amanda Magnus Producer
- Malcolm Gladwell Guest
- Lilly Goren Guest
- Richard Eisenberg Guest
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