By Lisa Hertzberg, LifeSmarts Program Director

Florida-bound LifeSmarts coaches recently joined conference calls to learn more about the upcoming national competition. The energy and enthusiasm were contagious – now we’re really excited to see you all Miami Beach, FL, later this month!

Important format changes are in store for coaches and students traveling to the 2010 National LifeSmarts Championship next week:

• All teams compete eight times (four buzzer matches, and four assessments) – and those advancing to the quarterfinals compete even more!
• Point totals are cumulative
• Teams may challenge answers and be awarded points following competition
• Winning teams, individual students, and coaches will all be recognized for high achievement

To learn more, view the PowerPoint at our site and the fact sheet.

As we mentioned on the coach call, students can expect to work hard, and they should realize that they won’t know all the answers (and that’s OK!), but we are certain that they will arrive in Florida ready for the challenge!

By Mimi Johnson, Director of NCL Health Policy

The other night, the land line rang and, though I did not recognize the name or number, I answered.  My number is on the ‘Do Not Call’ list, which has – for the most part – kept the telemarketers away.  Rather than someone trying to sell me something, I now frequently get calls with people seeking my opinion.

While many might cringe and eagerly hang up when they hear that phrase ‘do you have a few minutes …’, I get a little excited.  Of course I have a few minutes to share my opinion.  I grew up always wondering who on earth was being polled about this or that, because it certainly wasn’t me.   In the last year or two, I’ve participated in polls and surveys about politics, health reform and the health industry, the regional power company, among other things.

Last night, I was able to share my thoughts on transportation in the region.  As the public transit system prepares to make cuts to services and raise fares, and the roads grow more clogged with cars each day, I surely had a thing or two to say!

At NCL, we frequently rely on consumer surveys to gauge consumer opinions on and understanding of various issues.  With this information, we are able to advocate on your behalf.  We testify before Congress or federal agencies, and we produce educational materials to address your questions and concerns.  Recognizing the value of this information, I have definitely grown to appreciate those “pesky” calls a bit more.

So, the next time you’re settling down to relax at night and the phone rings, think twice about ignoring it or cutting the call short.  As a savvy consumer, you should take every opportunity afforded to you to share your thoughts and opinions about products and services. But if you don’t want to participate in these surveys, that’s up to you — check out this amusing piece from the Consumerist.

By John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud

On January 1, 2006 the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit took effect. Medicare Part D today helps nearly 24 million Americans afford their prescription drugs. The $49.3 billion (annual) program has undoubtedly helped many American consumers avoid having to make the difficult choice between paying the rent and buying critically important medicine.

Unfortunately, one of the by-products of this new benefit was an increase in scams targeting seniors unfamiliar with the new benefit. In 2006, consumers were suddenly faced with multiple insurers offering different levels of drug coverage, a situation that confused many at first. Unsurprisingly, scam artists took advantage of the confusion and high visibility in news coverage to launch a wave of Medicare Part D-related scams.

Such scams included telephone calls, unsolicited emails, and house visits to seniors to trick them into paying a fee to enroll in a Medicare Part D plan (it costs nothing to enroll), disclosing bank account information say that the benefit could be “paid” into the victim’s account, or claiming to enroll the victim in a Medicare Part D plan only to enroll them in a more expensive Medicare Advantage plan. (Click here to read more from the FTC about these scams.)

Regardless of the specific con employed, all of these scams took advantage of consumers’ unfamiliarity with the new benefit to defraud them.

Fast-forward to 2010: the recently passed health care reform bill will extend Medicaid benefits to millions of previously uninsured Americans, set up insurance “exchanges,” and send rebate checks to millions of seniors to close the prescription drug “donut hole” in the Medicare drug coverage program. These and other benefits will require a sustained consumer education effort to inform Americans about the benefits. However, these new benefits will also likely create consumer confusion. Combined with the saturation of media coverage of health care reform, this is likely to be a ripe target for scammers.

Indeed, only weeks after the reforms were enacted, fraudsters already seem to be taking advantage. A recent National Public Radio story:

Days after President Obama signed the $938 billion bill into law, a cable television advertisement exhorted viewers to call an 800-number so they wouldn’t miss a “limited enrollment” period to obtain coverage available “now that historic health care legislation has passed.”

And there have already been reports of door-to-door salespeople peddling “Obamacare” insurance policies.

This is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg. Medicare Part D covers only a fraction of those who will be affected by the new health care reforms. Tens of millions of Americans may be at risk.

The health care reform bills signed into law by President Obama included funds for consumer education and greater enforcement efforts. However, if the experience of Medicate Part D scams is any indication, these resources will be insufficient to meet the ever-evolving threat of opportunistic scammers. It will be up to consumers to educate themselves and those they look after to ensure that the coming wave of fraud victimizes as few consumers as possible.