10 illegal Medigap practices to watch for

Watch out for these illegal Medigap practices, and call the Inspector General's hotline if you believe a federal law has been broken.

1. Pressure you into buying a Medigap policy, or lie to mislead you to switch from one company or policy to another.
2. Sell you a second Medigap policy when they know that you already have one, unless you tell the insurance company in writing that you plan to cancel your existing Medigap policy.
3. Sell you a Medigap policy if they know you have Medicaid, except in certain situations.
4. Sell you a Medigap policy if they know you're in a Medicare Advantage Plan unless your coverage under the Medicare Advantage Plan will end before the effective date of the Medigap policy.
5. Claim that a Medigap policy is part of the Medicare program or any other federal program. Medigap is private health insurance.
6. Claim that a Medicare Advantage Plan is a Medigap policy.
7. Sell you a Medigap policy that can't legally be sold in your state. Check with your State Insurance Department to make sure that the Medigap policy you’re interested in can be sold in your state.
8. Misuse the names, letters, or symbols of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Social Security, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), or any of their various programs like Medicare. For example, they can't suggest the Medigap policy has been approved or recommended by the federal government.
9. Claim to be a Medicare representative if they work for a Medigap insurance company.
10. Sell you a Medicare Advantage Plan when you say you want to stay in Original Medicare and buy a Medigap policy. A Medicare Advantage Plan isn't the same as Original Medicare. If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you'll be disenrolled from Original Medicare and can't use a Medigap policy.