Offer In Compromise Mills
Offer in compromise mills take out ads in local newspapers and media claiming they can settle peoples debt for pennies on the dollar, according to the IRS. In reality, the taxpayer usually pays the OIC mill a fee to get exactly the same deal they would have gotten by simply working directly with the IRS.
The agency claims these mills are a problem year-round but are more visible after tax season as taxpayers are trying to resolve their debts. The IRS claims that these fraudsters are offering to help taxpayers apply for an OIC knowing full well they will never meet the requirements of the OIC.
An OIC allows taxpayers to come to a compromise on their debts much in the same way credit card companies sometimes do. These offers usually come with stipulations that taxpayers will need to pay off the debt within a certain period of time, which sometimes reduces the debt, but other times does not.
The mills typically charge exorbitant fees knowing full well customers do not have the money to meet the program requirements.
What Medicare Plans Offer Flex Cards In Decatur Il
No, Medicare isnât offering flex cards, or debit cards pre-loaded with cash. If youâve started hearing buzz about certain Medicare plans offering flex cards, youâre probably wondering what itâs all about, and most importantly, if you qualify for one.
Hereâs the truth about flex cards and Medicare plans.
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$2800 Flex Card For Seniors On Medicare And Medicaid
The seniors are the people who have worked hard and want to live a better life. Indeed the government also provides different assistance to make sure they can live longer and healthier. Part of this, Medicare is one of the programs for them to let them live well and be healthy. Medicare is a long program and has different parts that seniors should know one by one. When they choose the Medicare advantage plan, they can easily personalize coverage with a new Visa Flex card.
This card may be useful to let you go freedom and can extend your dental, vision, and hearing coverage. It is your choice for you and you should know every part of this plan to make sure you will benefit. So we will discuss Flex Card for Seniors and what it pays you.
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How Do Seniors Get A Flex Card Easy
Presently there exists advertising for Medicare-provided Flex Cards by many providers. These ads contain numerous misleading statements. Truthfully, the government doesn’t offer cards to seniors. The card also has no role in government-funded programs. Private health plans do not advertise their cards. Consequently, there are several legitimate insurance companies that provide these advantages. Each has its own advantages. The Medicare Advantage plan does not provide the cards Benefit.
Never Share Your Personal Or Financial Information Over The Phone
If someone who claims to be from your bank or credit card company contacts you, dont provide any information over the phone. Instead, ask for a phone number to call them back. Scammers usually hang up at this point. Remember that any companies, agencies, or creditors you do business with will already know your personal information.
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Eligibility To Get A Flex Card
Flex Card is typically offered as part of health insurance plans or private Medicare plans. There may be eligibility criteria but the most common is to qualify for a health insurance plan with a flexible spending account. Additionally, the eligibility may also come on different aspects such as income, health needs, and participation in other assistance programs.
It is also important to note that the flex card is healthcare-related and there are so many optional plans that include various Medicare and other services into health care services. These highly are designed for the seniors to make sure they can choose the need that can adapt to their health needs.
Can You Withdraw Money From Flexible Spending Account
Can I get cash off my FSA card? In rare cases when you need to pay for qualifying expenses but the provider or store doesn’t take your FSA card, you can use your card to withdraw cash to make the payment. However, you must keep all the documentation proving that the amount you withdrew was used for eligible expenses.
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How Do You Qualify For A Senior Flex Card
The Flex Card will give you the option to enroll in an eligible health plan that has flexibility in spending. The flexible card offered by older citizens generally ties the card to Medicare Advantage plans. If you have not exhausted your health care or limited expense account by December 31 st, FSAFEDS will automatically carry over up to $500 of unspent funds into your health care or limited expense FSAFEDS account next calendar year.
New employees can enroll outside of Open Season within 60 days of their start date, but such an enrollment must take place on or before September 30. Expenses incurred during that window can be filed through April 30th of the subsequent year. The Federal Flexible Spending Account Program provides tax-advantaged flexible spending accounts that Federal employees can use to save on their health care and dependent care expenses.
Avoiding Flex Card Scams
Unfortunately, there are many scams out there today that advertise free flex cards. Since the free money associated with these cards is enticing, scammers get many people to fall for their tricks. So, how do you avoid these scams? There are several things that you can do to stay away from these traps. First, never give your personal information to any company that you do not know, especially online. Do not give them your name, address, Medicare number, Social Security number, or other personal information. Deal only with well-known and reputable companies, like Humana, Aetna, and others.
Next, make sure that you are not following the advice of someone who has ulterior motives. For instance, you could be taking advice from an insurance agent who is getting a commission from making a sale. They might not always be giving you the best advice for your situation. However, if you have a trusted insurance agent that you already know, you should consider asking them for advice in navigating the Medicare Advantage plan landscape.
Lastly, you can look for help through independent organizations. There are many organizations out there that help seniors with Medicare planning and other similar items, so finding one of these organizations can provide a great benefit. These organizations can help you through these complex decisions, and they can provide all the details you need to make the most informed decision.
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Fake Medical Insurance Plans
One of the most common scams targeting seniors involves unscrupulous companies that claim to be selling comprehensive healthcare plans. They falsely claim they are experts who provide government-sponsored health insurance policies, and some even claim to be affiliated with AARP or be providers of Medicare supplement insurance plans, going so far as to create official-looking websites.
In reality, the plans these companies sell are not comprehensive and have limited benefits. Some plans are medical discount plans rather than insurance plans and dont offer adequate coverage.
Signing Up For A Flex Card For Seniors
Now that you have found a Medicare Advantage plan that includes a flex card, how do you sign up? The process varies a little depending on whether or not you have alreadysigned up for Medicare. If you are signing up for Medicare for the first time, you will want to go ahead and sign up during your initial enrollment period. Go ahead and contact the insurance company that manages the Advantage plan to get started. The process usually just requires providing them with your basic personal information to get you signed up. Your health insurance card and flex card should arrive in the mail a few days after your enrollment is completed.
Current enrollees in Medicare who wish to switch to a Medicare Advantage plan with a flex plan benefit will have to follow a slightly different process. Remember that you cannot simply change Medicare plans at any time during the year. You will need to wait until the annual open enrollment period unless you qualify for a special enrollment period. Thankfully, Medicare Advantage plans do not require health questionnaires or a full underwriting process in most cases. You will simply need to contact the insurance company to get signed up. In many cases, you can enroll for health care coverage with the company online.
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Medicare Flex Card Eligibility
Flex cards are an additional benefit to Medicare Advantage plans. So, to qualify, you must have a participating policy.Not all Medicare Advantage plans participate in this program. In reality, a very small percentage of plans available nationwide offer this benefit. So, you must live in an area where at least one of these plans is available and sign up during a qualifying Medicare enrollment period.
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Fortunately, Medicare Advantage plans do not require beneficiaries to answer underwriting health questions to enroll, so you will not face denial due to a pre-existing condition. However, to participate in a Medicare Advantage plan, you must be willing to abide by strict networks and higher out-of-pocket costs. So you will need to make sure your new plans network covers your physicians.
Flex cards are not available in every state or with every carrier. It is best to contact your insurer directly to inquire if your plan offers this benefit. You can also review your plans benefits on Medicare.gov.
What Is A Medicare Flex Card For Seniors
A Flex card is a card used by beneficiaries as a means of payment for medical supplies. The card is usually linked to the flexibility of the spending account and is an advantage linked to qualifying medical plans across the nation. These private insurance cards can be obtained for specific policies. Card fees differ based on the plan and carrier. FlexCard benefits do not appear on Medicare-based plans, but they’re included with a few other plans throughout the United States. Here at Century Medicare, we are dedicated to getting you the flex card and Medicare you need and deserve. Contact us today if you have any questions or concerns regarding flex cards. Reading this article will go over what exactly is a flex card.
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What Is The Flex Card For Seniors On Medicare
The Medicare Flex Card is a credit/debit card that can be used to pay for Medicare-covered expenses. It can be used at any health care provider that accepts Medicare, including hospitals, doctors offices, and pharmacies.
Use the card to pay for health care services not covered by Medicare, such as dental, vision and hearing care. The Medicare Flex Card is not an insurance policy, and it does not replace Medicare coverage.
Medicare Flex Cards for seniors are only available on certain Medicare Advantage Plans. Flex cards are not administered by the Federal Government and are not considered insurance. Medicare Flex cards do not replace Original Medicare.
What Is The Flex Card For Seniors
Youve probably seen TV commercials and ads online promoting a free Flex Card for seniors or Medicare Flex Card. And youre wondering is it real or is it a scam?
So heres the deal, every year right around the annual open enrollment period which runs from Oct 15th to Dec 7th, theres always a certain benefit thats heavily advertised by medicare sales agencies.
The reason of course is to get you to respond or call so they can enroll you in a Medicare plan. And you just might be surprised when the benefit you called for isnt available in your area, or you dont qualify for it.
This year that benefit happens to be the Flex card for seniors.
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Money Transfer Systems Fraud
There are several different types of money transfer system scams that con artists use to steal money from unsuspecting consumers. Some may claim to provide transfer services for a fee to send money overseas. Others may tell you that youve won a lottery or cash prize, and you need to send them money to cover processing fees and taxes. Some scammers pose as representatives from charities who want you to transfer money as a donation.
Another common way scammers use money transfer scams is to pose as sellers on auction websites such as eBay. When a consumer purchases a product and uses a money transfer to pay for it, the seller takes the money but doesnt send the product.
What Is A Flex Card For Senior Citizens
The Flex Card is a preloaded debit card that is available in a variety of categories for eligible medical care beneficiaries. These cards are offered only by insurance companies that provide these flexible cards. Depending on how many times you spend your money, you will have the same limits as on the other cards that you’ve got. Eligible employees can enroll in FSAFEDS during the annual Federal Benefits Open Season in November and December. We also have written an article on flex cards for seniors here.
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How To Find A Medicare Advantage Plan With A Flex Card
Once you have confirmed that you are eligible for Medicare coverage, it is time to find a Medicare Advantage plan that offers the flex card benefit. We have already mentioned the fact that not all Advantage plans include a flex card. In fact, the majority of plans do not have this benefit. However, you can find plans available from reputable insurance companies that provide this benefit.
Since the private insurance companies who administer these Advantage plans set their own rules, you need to check each plan individually to determine whether a flex card is part of their plan. The easiest way to do this is by using the Medicare plan finder tool at Medicare.gov. This tool makes it easy to search for and compare plans in your area. Since not all plans are available in all locations, you will want to make sure that you are specifically looking for plans available where you live.
In addition to finding a plan that includes a flex card, you should also take a look at the details of the flex card benefit. Some plans offer a higher spending limit on the flex card than others. Since this is essentially free money that the insurance company is giving you, the higher the amount, the better. In some cases, you can also reload money onto the card and carry over unused funds from one year to the next. However, strict rules govern flexible spending accounts, so you should confirm these details with the plan administrator.
How To Get A Flex Card
Getting a senior flex card starts with finding a private health insurance provider that offers these cards as part of their Medicare Advantage plans. Despite a recent uptick in online advertising, however, these cards remain relatively rare. For example, they may only be offered by certain private insurance companies in certain states, and even then, only for customers on select plans or who meet specific criteria.
These criteria vary based on the provider. Some may offer plans that include flex cards to customers who have been with the company for a certain length of time or may make these cards part of a tiered pricing system that requires customers to purchase plans with higher deductibles or copayments.
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Remember You May Be At Risk From Those Close To You
According to the National Council on Aging , more than 90% of all elder abuse, including financial abuse, happens at the hands of seniors family members. Strangers arent the only ones who can defraud you, and many family members, including adult children and grandchildren, have drained joint bank accounts and stolen assets from their senior relatives.
Seniors Are More Likely To Report Fraud With No Financial Loss
According to the Federal Trade Commission, seniors are much more likely to report fraud than younger consumers, even if they havent lost any money. This may be because seniors are more likely to identify fraudulent activity early and report it right away.
Younger adults, on the other hand, are more likely to lose money in scams before they realize whats happening. The majority of fraud reports filed by seniors with the FTC dont include any financial loss, which shows that seniors are generally good at recognizing internet scams.
So if youre a senior citizen, continue this encouraging trend by reporting any suspicious online activity to the authorities.
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Reach Out To Find A Trustworthy Unbiased Medicare Counselor
In my experience, the best way to find a trustworthy Medicare counselor is to reach out to your local Area Agency on Aging. Many states have a Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program that can assist you in navigating these complex benefits.
You can also contact Medicare directly via 1-800-Medicare or by online chat at Medicare.gov.
You should always consult with a knowledgeable, unbiased Medicare advisor before making significant changes to your health care coverage. You may find out that the flex card for seniors is just a distraction from damaging fine print that would put you in a far worse financial situation overall.