Enrolling the Dead

Here at InsureBlog we try to put a positive spin on things as much as possible but have not shied away from exposing the dirty side of our industry. Most of the time the dark side has to do with carriers (Stupid Carrier Tricks) or providers (Stupid Doctor Tricks) but we have also been quick to chastise agents that have crossed the line.

It seems that some agents working in the 65+ market have found "creative" ways of generating sales . . . and commissions.

In documents provided to congress evidence is clearly present that suggests that insurance salesmen in 39 U.S. states used illegal or unethical tactics in order to get a signature on the dotted line. Furthermore they were willing to enroll the dead,mentally incompetent, use stolen private information attained from federal records and even impersonate Medicare representatives, to win over another unsuspecting consumer.

As if that were not enough, along comes this little gem.

It is estimated that 1 out of 5 Americans who are enrolled in Medicare are on one of the Medicare Advantage plans, and according to some experts these plans are costing the government more money than are the traditional Medicare plans.

Presumably the dead enrollees are not contributing to this shortfall . . .