Is that Medicare survey a scam?
Some surveys are genuine research. Others are lead generation with a clipboard. Two questions tell them apart.
By Ana Beatriz Salgado, Cedar Landing Benefits
Surveys about your Medicare plan arrive by post, by phone and increasingly by text. Genuine satisfaction research does exist — plans are measured on member experience and that data has to come from somewhere.
But a good deal of what arrives is a lead form in a lab coat.
Two questions that sort them
Does it ask for your Medicare number, your date of birth or your bank details? Genuine survey research does not need any of them. Does it promise a benefit — a gift card, extra cover, a rebate — in exchange for completing it? Real research does not dangle benefits you are not entitled to.
Either answer being yes is enough to stop. Put it down and call your plan or your agent.
What the genuine ones look like
Real surveys identify the research organisation, explain how your answers are used, and ask about your experience rather than your identity. They are usually dull, which is the best sign of authenticity in this field.
If you are unsure, forward it to us. We would far rather read a piece of post for you than help you unpick a fraudulent plan change in February.
An estimate for planning, not a quote. Medicare and the Marketplace set your real figures.
Have a question this raised?
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