Senior Service Directory

Consumer Protection

CCon artists often target older people. Be wary, particularly when someone approaches you, suggesting, for example, that your home needs repairs or that you have won a contest that you don’t remember entering. Don’t be taken in by telemarketers. Be suspicious when you are told that your Medicare “needs to be fixed.” NEVER give your bank account, credit card, Medicare, or Social Security numbers to a person you don’t know. Never pay any amount of money for a “prize” that you have supposedly won without checking out the organization that it’s from. Be especially suspicious of offers to help you—for a fee—recover money lost to other telemarketers; it’s an especially cruel hoax. Remember: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is! Call Legal Aid of East Tennessee for help in checking out a telemarketer proposal.

When looking for workers to do home repair, ask friends for referrals or check listings in the phone book yellow pages. Be extremely wary of unsolicited offers to do home repair or improvement jobs, especially if someone drives up to your home uninvited and offers you a bargain. Get an estimate from more than one business; ask if they offer a senior discount.

heck with the city and county business tax offices and the Better Business Bureau about each company. Ask for—and check—references before hiring a worker or signing a contract. Get the agreement in writing. Make an appointment to have someone from Legal Aid of East Tennessee look over a contract before you sign it; their help is free to seniors.

The Knoxville and Knox County Business Tax offices can tell consumers whether a business is licensed in the city or the county. The business tax offices do not license nonprofit agencies or professionals who are licensed by the state (doctors, lawyers, veterinarians, etc.). But all businesses that are not state licensed, that have a physical location in Knoxville or Knox County, and that do more than $3,000 business annually must be licensed here. If a company is not licensed, be careful about doing business with them and follow the steps in the paragraph above. These offices do not enforce codes, register complaints, or revoke licenses, but they can tell you if a business is licensed locally.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) can tell you if any complaints have been registered against a business and whether the complaints have been resolved. BBB has a 24-hour automated telephone line that allows callers to check on businesses outside of regular business hours. The Better Business Bureau also provides information about charitable organizations. Charities are required to register yearly and submit a financial report.

You can also contact the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs (page 62) for assistance.
The One Call Club for Seniors is an Office on Aging program that checks out service providers to be sure that they will provide high-quality service to club members at a reasonable price.

Protecting Medicare’s Trust Funds to ensure the availability of future benefits continues to be a priority of our government. Detecting and detering Medicare fraud requires the active help of every beneficiary. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) suggests:

  • Never give your Medicare number to anyone over the phone or to someone you don’t know if you did not initiate the contact. Do not send it over the Internet, except to secure, encrypted sites such as Social Security’s and Medicare’s official sites. If in doubt, don’t do it, or get help.
  • Check your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) or report from your Medigap company to be sure you received the medical service listed.
  • Be suspicious of companies that offer “free” medical equipment or offer to waive your copayment.
  • Beware of health-care providers/suppliers who use door-to-door or phone offers to sell you goods and services.
  • Beware of health-care providers who say they represent Medicare or a federal agency or who use pressure tactics to get you to accept a service, product, or insurance.
  • Beware of health-care providers who offer “free” screening tests at senior gatherings and ask for your Medicare number. If the services are really free, they should not need your number.

In East Tennessee, free and confidential information and assistance are available to help you report suspected fraud, waste, and abuse. For information, call the East Tennessee Area Agency on Aging & Disability and ask about the Tennessee Senior Medicare Patrol Project.

Call the appropriate agency for Medicare Part A or B to report possible fraud.

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