Your rights with insurance agents
State and federal rules protect you against abuses in the marketing and sales of Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare prescription drug plans. People who contact you about any type of private Medicare coverage:
Must
- Be licensed by the state. The Division of Financial Regulation can tell you if an agent is licensed: 888-877-4894 (toll-free).
- Have an appointment to come to your home. They are not allowed to show up unannounced.
- Tell you in advance the type of insurance that will be discussed during a scheduled sales appointment. At the appointment, they cannot try to sell you other types of insurance.
Must not
- Try to sell you non-health types of insurance (such as life insurance or an annuity).
- Try to sell you insurance in certain health care settings, such as a doctor's office or a pharmacy.
- Try to sell you a plan at an educational event.
- Offer you free meals at sales events.
- Offer you gifts with a value of more than $15.
If you have a complaint about someone trying to sell you one of these types of Medicare insurance, contact the Division of Financial Regulation at 888-877-4894 (toll-free).