The persons offer seniors assistance in filling out Medicare forms related to the new Medicare prescription drug benefit that will begin in January 2006.   People who really work with Medicare:

- Can’t come to your house uninvited to sell or endorse Medicare related products, but they can call you on the phone to tell you about their plan.

- Can’t enroll you into a drug plan or ask you to pay for a drug plan over the telephone, unless you are adding prescription drug coverage to a Medicare Advantage Plan or other Medicare Health Plan you already have.

- Can’t ask for payment over the Internet.  The plan must send you a bill if you enroll online. 

To avoid potential fraud and identity theft, enroll with a Medicare-approved resource, such as the Medicare Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP) by calling 1-800-803-7174. To verify whether a plan is approved, call Medicare’s toll-free number at 1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-4028, or they may use the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan finder on www.medicare.gov. Medicare recipients who have been improperly solicited by a potential scam artist or who believe someone has broken any of the Medicare rules should contact Medicare immediately.