Healthcare Spam Calls

Oklahoma County Sheriff's Public Information Officer Aaron Brilbeck says it's getting harder to figure out when a scammer is calling.

“They know the area; they know the geographic layout of the area. Oftentimes they know the names of some of our deputies, they know the names of some of our judges. They know where the courthouse is. They're so sophisticated in fact that they'll say, hey, I want you to call me back at this number. And when you call, there's a machine that picks up and says, you've reached the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office," says Brilbeck.

Oklahomans receiving scam calls include SoonerCare members.

“We've had some calls from our members where someone has called and said, you owe some money before you're disenrolled and you need to write a check and provide this information or provide public personal health information, personal information, and things of that,” says Kevin Corbett, CEO, Oklahoma Health Care Authority.

SoonerCare is Oklahoma’s version of Medicaid providing access to healthcare for Oklahomans with lower incomes.

The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) runs SoonerCare and Corbitt says that members should call the agency if a scammer contacts them seeking personal information.

“That's not what we will do. And if we're, if you get a call and someone is asking for personal information, whether it's social security number or anything like that, the best thing to do is to hang up and call back to us,” says Corbitt.

Health Alliance for the Uninsured Executive Director Jeanean Yanish Jones says scammers typically try to trick unsuspecting victims to give them money.

“Please do not give payment information over the phone, especially if you're trying to enroll in a free program or get re-enrolled in a free program or with a free clinic,” says Jones.

As far as holding the phone scammers accountable…that's a little more difficult.

“They're using burner phones. We don't know if they're in the country. We don't know if they're out of the country. We don't know if they're in the state. We don't know if they're out of the state. Trying to track them down is virtually impossible,” says Brilbeck.

He says that scammers have even incorporated A.I.

“So, what they'll do is they'll troll some of your social media sites. They'll find out who your grandchild is and get a sample of the grandchild's voice. And using artificial intelligence put together a phone message that sounds just like your grandkid,” says Brilbeck.

Brilbeck offers this tip to avoid deception:

“What we suggest or something like that is within your family, have a code word, a code word that only you and your family know,” says Brilbeck.

Corbett advises one way for SoonerCare members to avoid some scams is to simply keep their information up to date.

“If anyone receives any communication from us saying we need some information from you to validate and continue your coverage, please respond. We need to make sure we have the most current information available,” says Corbett.

Keeping your information current is especially important now that the public health emergency declared during the pandemic is no longer in effect. 

"...Dial back about three years ago when the pandemic occurred, obviously a public health emergency was declared and from that, we had the opportunity to do many things in the Medicaid program. One of the things that we were able to do is provide continuous coverage,” says Corbett.

One reason scammers are going after SoonerCare members is that the healthcare authority began the post-pandemic dis-enrollment process in late April, and it will continue until the end of the year. 

“We've been doing this for over nine months. It's about 30,000 individuals a month. We started that may one, we'll have another group that becomes un ineligible and be disenrolled starting in June if you will do that for the next nine months,” says Corbett.

Corbett says that the agency carefully planned the unenrollment of SoonerCare members.

“As it relates to the public health emergency, we wanna make sure that everybody is treated in the most compassionate way. So, if there's information, we need to make able to continue their coverage, get that to us. The most vulnerable people will not be disenrolled until the end of the program,” says Corbett.

About half a million people are currently uninsured in Oklahoma, but the unenrollment process will increase that number dramatically. 

“That brings us to almost with about 545,000 uninsured and additional a hundred thousand approximately of people who also don't have access to healthcare, plus the 308,000, it brings our state to almost a million uninsured by the end of the year,” says Jones.

Jones says the uninsured *do* have other avenues to access affordable medical services.

“There are 92 free and charitable clinics in the state of Oklahoma, and the free clinics are a vital part of the healthcare safety net,” says Jones

Jones says scam callers are targeting uninsured Oklahomans, as well.

“It's devastating for the individual, but it's also devastating for our state because now we have people that are maybe in a, in a health crisis,” says Jones.

Again, the best advice is to be cautious, and *skeptical* if you receive a phone call from anyone offering unsolicited healthcare advice or seeking personal information. 

“What I tell to members is be vigilant when it comes to those trying to take advantage of you. Be suspicious again, hang up, call back, verify that you're talking to a valid person,” says Corbett.

If not your next phone call may be to the police to report you've been scammed. 

“You can call your local police department. But again, understand that the chances of us solving the case are generally pretty slim. The best way to combat this, the best way to cut this thing off is by being aware of it going into it,” says Brilbeck.