Let me guess how your day goes. Your phone rings constantly with random, unrecognizable phone numbers from people that you may or may not have requested information from. You are getting frustrated to the point where you don’t even want to answer the phone anymore. Sound familiar? It does to me, because that is what I deal with each day and I am 100% confident that I have never called or went online requesting information on health insurance. Unfortunately, there is more you should be worried about besides them being inconvenient. These calls can potentially endanger your finances. If you do end up speaking to one of these callers, make sure you take proper steps to safeguard yourself and your identity. This is not to say that everyone who calls you is unethical or out to take advantage of you but there are some who do, and I want to ensure everyone is properly informed and uses proper precaution when transacting business online or over the phone.
I would like to share a story of personal experience, so it might help you look for the warning signs. The other day, I received a phone call from a number I usually see call at least five to seven times a day. I was curious to see what exactly they were offering. It must have been important for the sheer number of times they had called. The call was automated, and I had to follow prompts to be connected to an actual agent. Once connected to an actual person, the gentleman proceeded to sell me what he claimed was a Major Medical plan. This plan had a $0 deductible. He said this plan didn’t have a network and I could see any doctor I chose. He indicated that the hospital coverage was $1000 per day with no limit on the number of days! He asked if that sounds good so far. To the average consumer they may think, “Yes, that sounds great!” With my knowledge I said, “WAIT! $1000 per day in the hospital? That won’t even cover the room charges.” Fun fact, according to CBS news Money Talk, the average hospital stay for a heart attack is five days and the cost is around $760,000!! Using the plan he was selling, as an example, $1000 per day for 5 days that’s only $5,000 in coverage. So, what happens to the other $755,000? Yep, you guessed it; YOU have to pay that out of your own pocket. As I proceeded to pull back the layers, I realized the plan was trying to sell me was a just a Hospital Indemnity plan, not a true Major Medical plan that he originally claimed it to be. After 10 minutes on the call, I pushed him to verify that he was a licensed agent with the ability to sell insurance. Come to find out, he wasn’t even licensed to sell insurance, so I immediately ended the phone call. Do you know, he had the nerve to call me back to say he was frustrated with ME for wasting his time. For training purposes our calls are always recorded so I was able to go back and listen to our entire call. I have linked this call on our website, so you can listen, too at www.insurd.net/telemarketer.
It’s my desire that everyone has the information they need to protect themselves and their families in whatever the circumstance.
Picking out insurance can be a daunting task and if you want honest advice from a reliable source, stop by Insur’d in Marietta or call our office at 678-792-4555. It would be a pleasure to offer you a free coverage review to ensure you have the plan that is right for you. Whether you have Medicare, health insurance or none at all my services are always free. Keep in mind, Open Enrollment for Medicare ends December 7th and Open Enrollment for Under 65 Health Insurance ends December 15th. We offer many options for coverage beyond these dates as well. Call Today 678-792-4555.
This article originally appeared in the December issue of EAST COBBER, on page 12. Click here to view the digital edition.
