Keeping up with doctor’s appointments is essential to managing health and staying informed, but it can often feel overwhelming. From scheduling and transportation to understanding medical advice and ensuring proper follow-up, there are many details to manage. This is where Understood Care can help. Our advocates serve as trusted guides, working alongside you or your loved one to make the process easier, more organized, and more comfortable.
Personalized Support Before and After Every Appointment
Understood Care advocates provide hands-on help with all aspects of medical visits. We help you schedule appointments, confirm provider information, and prepare for the visit itself. This might include reviewing your questions ahead of time, making sure prescriptions are current, or gathering any medical records needed. After the appointment, we help you understand the doctor’s recommendations and take the right steps to follow through on care instructions, referrals, or additional tests.
A Partner to Help You Understand Your Care
Medical visits can involve unfamiliar language, new diagnoses, or complex treatment plans. Your advocate is there to help translate this information into clear, understandable terms. We make sure you feel confident about what was discussed during the visit and that you know what actions to take next. If something is unclear or left unanswered, your advocate can follow up with your provider to get the information you need.
Coordination Across Your Care Team
Many people receive care from more than one doctor. Your advocate helps ensure that your care is well coordinated across primary care providers, specialists, and other professionals. We help share information between offices, keep records consistent, and make sure appointments align with your overall care goals. This reduces confusion and helps prevent important details from being overlooked.
Support for Getting to and From the Appointment
Transportation should never be the reason you miss a doctor’s visit. Your advocate helps you arrange reliable ways to get to and from appointments. Whether that means booking a ride service, coordinating with a caregiver, or finding community transportation resources, we make sure you have safe and timely access to care. We also consider mobility needs, language assistance, and other accessibility factors to support your comfort and safety.
Emotional and Practical Support Throughout
Doctor’s visits can bring up feelings of stress, uncertainty, or fatigue, especially when managing long-term conditions or complex health needs. Understood Care advocates are here to offer steady support throughout the experience. We are here to listen, provide encouragement, and help you make informed decisions without feeling overwhelmed.
Confidence in Every Step of the Journey
With Understood Care, you are never alone in managing your medical appointments. From the moment you schedule your visit to the follow-up that comes afterward, your advocate is there to help you stay organized, prepared, and empowered. We make it easier to stay connected to the care you need and to move forward with confidence.
Intro
When our advocate Debbie visited a local community center, she noticed a wall of framed examples of common scams. Charity fraud. Grandkid and family scams. Unwanted calls and texts. Imposters. Health insurance scams. Job scams. Business impersonations. It was a simple idea with a powerful reminder. Scammers are professionals. They practice pressure and secrecy. Many people fall for them. If you are ever unsure, speak up before you respond. Most real organizations will not contact you out of the blue to ask for money or personal details. That simple pause can protect you.
As a patient advocacy group, we see how often these scams touch older adults and caregivers. We are here to help you sort out what is real, report what is not, and recover your peace of mind. If something feels off, tell a trusted person and contact an advocate. You do not have to deal with this alone.
You can reach an advocate here
https://understoodcare.com/advocates
What Debbie wants you to remember from the video
Do not respond right away
If an email or call is unfamiliar, pause. Do not click links. Do not give information. Talk to someone first. Share what happened so you can decide next steps together. That short conversation can stop a scam in its tracks.
Know the signs of a scam
- Pressure to act now
- Secrecy and urgency
- Payment requests by gift card, cryptocurrency, wire, or payment apps
- Claims to be a government office or well known business that needs money or personal details
- Messages that look official but come from odd addresses or phone numbers
Get help
- Ask an Understood Care advocate to review suspicious letters, calls, texts, or emails with you
- Contact the proper agency to report and document what happened
- Keep a simple log of dates, amounts, and what you were told
Common scam types and how to spot them
Charity fraud
You may be asked to give after a disaster or during the holidays. Slow down. Real charities will not pressure you to pay by gift card or wire. Verify the charity’s tax status before you give. Use the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search and review the organization’s filings.
What to do next
- Look up the charity on the IRS search tool
- Search the charity name with the words complaint or review
- Give through the charity’s official site only
Grandkid and family scams
Someone calls and says Grandma I am in trouble. I need money for bail or a medical bill. They may even use a voice that sounds like your loved one. Voice cloning can make these calls very convincing. Always call a known number for your family member or another relative to confirm. Never keep it secret.
What to do next
- Hang up and call your loved one on a number you already have
- If money was sent, contact your bank or card issuer at once
- Report it so others are warned
Unwanted calls and texts
Scammers use caller ID spoofing to look local or to appear as a known company or agency. Register your number on the National Do Not Call Registry and use call blocking tools from your phone provider. Do not answer unknown numbers. If you pick up, do not say yes and do not press buttons. Hang up.
What to do next
- Register your number at the official site
- Turn on call blocking and spam filter settings on your device
- Report illegal calls and texts to the proper agency
Government imposters and business impersonations
No real government office will demand payment by gift card or crypto. The Social Security Administration, IRS, Medicare, and other agencies do not call to threaten you or demand immediate payment. Businesses can be impersonated too. Contact the agency or company using a number you find yourself.
What to do next
- Ignore requests for gift cards or wires
- Look up the official website and call directly
- Report the imposter attempt
Health insurance and Medicare scams
Scammers may claim you need a new Medicare card or that your benefits will be canceled unless you confirm your number. Medicare will not call to ask for your Medicare number or payment. Review your Medicare Summary Notice and Explanation of Benefits for unfamiliar charges. Report suspected fraud right away.
What to do next
- Call 1 800 MEDICARE to check any claim or contact
- Report suspected fraud to the HHS Office of Inspector General
- Ask an advocate to review your notices and bills with you
https://understoodcare.com/care-types/care-coordination
Job scams and fake recruiting
Scammers send texts or messages promising easy remote work or quick pay for simple tasks. They may ask you to pay a fee to apply, buy equipment, or move money for them. Real employers do not charge you to get a job. Do not pay to get paid.
What to do next
- Stop contact if you are asked to send money or personal details early in the process
- Confirm jobs on the official company site
- Report the scam and protect your accounts
Five golden rules that stop most scams
- Slow down
Scammers use urgency. Take a breath and check. - Do not pay in unusual ways
Never pay with gift cards, crypto, wire transfers, or payment apps to strangers. Real organizations do not ask for that. - Verify on your own
Use an official website or a number from a recent statement. Do not trust caller ID. - Talk to someone
Tell a family member or an advocate before you act. Your story can help stop a scammer. - Report it
Reports help investigators stop patterns and warn others.
If you already responded or sent money
Call your bank or card issuer right away
Ask them to stop or reverse the transaction if possible. Change your online banking password and turn on alerts.
If you gave personal information
- Place a fraud alert or credit freeze with the three credit bureaus
- Watch your statements and Medicare Summary Notices
- Create a recovery plan for identity theft
Save everything
Keep emails, texts, and receipts. Write down the date, time, amount, who contacted you, and what they said. This helps with reports.
Ask for support
An advocate can help you make calls, fill out forms, and follow up.
https://understoodcare.com/how-advocates-support
How to report scams and frauds
Medicare and health insurance
- Call 1 800 MEDICARE and report online at Medicare dot gov
- Report to HHS Office of Inspector General at 1 800 HHS TIPS or online
Internet and online scams
- Report to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center IC3
Unwanted calls and texts
- Report to the FCC and use their consumer tools
Federal Communications Commission
Government imposters and charity fraud
- Report to the Federal Trade Commission
- Verify charities with the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search
If you would like a caring partner to walk through these steps with you, our team can help today. Text us: (646) 904-4027
Build your personal safety plan
Write a short script near your phone
- I do not share personal information on the phone
- I will call the company back using a number I find myself
- Please mail me information
Create a short list of trusted contacts
- One family member
- One advocate from Understood Care
- One local bank branch for urgent questions
Practice a calm response
- Thank you for calling
- I do not make decisions on the spot
- I will review and call back
Share your plan with family
Talk through common scam stories so everyone knows what to do.
How advocates at Understood Care support you
- We review suspicious messages with you and help decide next steps
- We call your plan or bank with you to confirm what is real
- We help report to the right agency and keep a record for follow up
- We check your Medicare Summary Notices and Explanation of Benefits for red flags
- We coordinate with your clinicians if medical identity theft may have affected your records
FAQ
What is the fastest first step if I receive a suspicious call or text
Hang up or do not reply. Look up the official number for the agency or company and call them yourself. Do not trust caller ID.
How can I stop unwanted calls
Register your number, turn on call blocking, and report illegal calls and texts to the proper agency. Your phone provider can help you use built in filters.
Are gift cards ever used for payment by real agencies
No. No government office or real business will require payment by gift card or cryptocurrency. If someone asks for that, it is a scam.
How do I report Medicare fraud
Call 1 800 MEDICARE. You can also report to the HHS Office of Inspector General at 1 800 HHS TIPS or online. Keep your Medicare number and claim details ready.
What is medical identity theft
Medical identity theft is when someone uses your name, health plan, or Medicare number to get care or bill for services. It can affect your medical records and your bills. Create a recovery plan and correct your records as needed.
Where do I report online scams
Go to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center IC3. Your report helps law enforcement track patterns and stop criminals.
Can an advocate really help with scams
Yes. An advocate can talk through what happened, help you contact Medicare or your plan, report the scam, and monitor for follow up. You can connect with a trained advocate here
https://understoodcare.com/advocates
References
- https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scam
- https://www.ftc.gov/reports/consumer-sentinel-network-data-book-2024
- https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/stop-unwanted-robocalls-and-texts
- https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/spoofing
- https://www.medicare.gov/basics/reporting-medicare-fraud-and-abuse
- https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud
- https://www.ic3.gov
- https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-medical-identity-theft
- https://www.usa.gov/identity-theft
- https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/pass-it-on/charity-fraud
- https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos
- https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams
- https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/how-avoid-imposter-scams
- https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/03/scammers-use-ai-enhance-their-family-emergency-schemes
This content is educational and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for personalized care.
Deborah Hall
- About: Deborah Hall’s primary specialty is other healthcare benefits access. She helps people apply for coverage, clears questions, and connects them to programs fast.
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