Stop. SCAMMING. Seniors. (A How To Guide)

The Scourge of Elder Abuse

Elder abuse is a plague in which unscrupulous manipulators prey on seniors in a variety of ways, defrauding them of billions of dollars annually. Why? Older adults are less likely to be tech-savvy and more frequently at home in the daytime to answer imposter phone calls. A typical scammer will deceive senior citizens with false promises of goods and services. According to the FBI’s 2021 Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) report, there were over 92,000 victims who lost $1.7 billion to elder fraud scams. The losses were a 74 percent increase over 2020’s.

The most common examples of fraud committed on seniors are Grandparent, Reverse Mortgage, and Telemarketing scams. In our world of health care, phantom medical claims or questionable charges can miraculously appear on an explanation of benefits (EOBs). And of course, there are outreach phone calls from Social Security or Medicare where an imposter scams an unwitting senior citizen.

Imagining the Impact

Imagine being in the shoes of one of these seniors, feeling the frustration and fear that comes with being targeted. It's a problem that screams for a solution, a beacon of trust and reliability in a world fraught with deception.

The Industry's Trust Deficit & A Call for Change

At Healthrageous, we’ve found that seniors embrace online communication when it is friction-free and of value to them. However, given the low level of trust imparted to them by seniors, health insurers confront more resistance. Dissatisfaction with health insurance permeates the entire industry. A recent KFF Consumer Confidence report of 47 benchmarked industries found health insurance companies ranked 36th. Many of the lowest-ranking aspects of health insurance came down to transparency (ease of understanding statements) and user experience (call center satisfaction). Payers haven’t really offered the same level of consumer-centric experiences as the top B2C digital heavyweights (Amazon, Apple, et al.), and it has eroded trust.

Trust is not earned by over-billing. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s report to Congress found at least $12 billion in overpayments were made to Medicare Advantage plans in 2020 by the federal government. Nor is it earned by offering minimal provider choice. In Medicare Advantage plans, doctors often must get approval from the insurer in advance before treating their patients. Also, if a patient knowingly or inadvertently sees a doctor or goes to a hospital out of network, they could be on the hook for thousands of dollars out of their own pocket. And these plans do not typically cover treatment outside of the patient’s home area, which is considered out of network.

How We Build Bridges of Trust

Enter Healthrageous, a beacon of hope and trust in this scenario. We aim to rejuvenate the faith seniors have in healthcare with our transparent and user-friendly services. Here's how we are building bridges of trust with skeptical seniors:

1. Personalized Service: We provide a valued service that is almost entirely white-labelled. Most of the seniors we serve believe their special needs plan is generating the prepared meal service that fosters tremendous goodwill. After all, who doesn’t like a tasty, microwavable dinner that is FREE?
2. Language Inclusivity: We communicate in the language of the person eating our meals. Not only do we have Latin meals (e.g., Chile Relleno, Chicken Enchiladas), but our call center and messaging is in Spanish as well. Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese are also available under the Healthrageous banner, connecting communities and fostering inclusivity.
3. Effective Communication: By virtue of offering something highly valued, we are able to obtain previously unattainable, accurate, and relevant phone numbers. Serving those without a current phone number for SMS texting is difficult; but the difficulty melts away when we provide notice that 14 frozen meals will be arriving in 3 business days, if you provide us with your current cell number.
4. Value Addition: Our client estimated that we saved them approximately $225 per accurate phone number. That’s an added value that helps care managers and other vendors to reach the membership in a timely manner.

A Call to Action

It's likely self-evident why our clients are so enamored with the service we provide. Yet there’s this compelling tidbit: 90% of surveyed recipients of Healthrageous’ #MadeEasyMeals say they feel better about their MA plan because of our healthy living and meal experience.

Join us in our mission to safeguard our seniors, ensuring they enjoy a life of dignity, respect, and well-being. Share this message to raise awareness or reach out to us to learn more about our initiative. Let us unite to create a community that stands firmly against elder abuse.

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