Northwest Iowa — If you buy Medicare Supplement insurance, you might want to be careful of the things promised by some insurance providers in their mailings and phone calls to you. Iowa Insurance Commissioner Nick Gerhart has filed charges against two agencies which allegedly sent out
mailings to Iowans that misrepresented the terms of insurance plans meant to supplement Medicare.
Insurance Division spokesman, Chance McElhaney, says the charges were filed against Cynthia Fitzgerald of the Robert J. Stillwell Agency in Pennsylvania and Senior Direct, Incorporated of Texas.
McElhaney says Fitzgerald and the Robert J. Stillwell Agency face four charges and Senior Direct faces three. He says the two contacted thousands of Iowans.
He says the two will get a chance to answer the allegations of the Insurance Division.
Those hearings are set for December. McElhanney says some Iowans raised concerns about the mailings, and that is exactly what they advise people in their insurance fraud education.
He says SHIIP is a good resource for these types of questions.
McElhaney says Medicare supplement insurance is an important tool for managing health care costs.
He says if you have questions you can go to the Iowa Insurance Division website www.iid.state.ia.us, or call SHIIP at 800-351-4664. Or visit the SHIIP website at: www.therightcalliowa.gov.
Photo Caption: Iowa Insurance Commissioner Nick Gerhardt
