, /PRNewswire/ -- It's important to be on the lookout for scams every day of the year, but during Medicare Prevention Week , Blue Shield of warns its Medicare beneficiaries about scammers who want their personal, financial, and health plan information. Healthcare in the U.S.
is an enormous, expensive problem — costing up to , according to the National Health Care Anti- Association. Additionally, the reported that in 2023, almost half of the victims of call center schemes were over 60 years old. These scams target older adults, who accounted for 40% of complainants and 58% of losses, or nearly .
Older adults lost more money to these scams than all other age groups combined. To reduce instances of phone scams for Medicare recipients, Blue Shield recommends that seniors avoid sharing personal information in situations like these example scenarios: "Elder health care continues to plague our community, with far-reaching effects on the cost and quality of health care provided to patients," said , Medicare vice president and general manager at Blue Shield. We have a strong focus on protecting Medicare beneficiaries, who can be a vulnerable target for phone or other types of .
" The recommends Medicare beneficiaries protect themselves by following these practices: Additionally, Uhm advises Medicare beneficiaries who suspect or scams to take these actions: For more tips to stay safe from healthcare , visit: Blue Shield of strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and.
