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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL |S liHlt 6l?|l®L HWa I g \ »"■-*• \ '.. £| B|, ;'4,v, _■' t | JB% .MB’" B|r & j§ n i F •JP Bat OK.1; '«. i»--JL > If *jl Hr , ‘ , w> - s.' *R'-:*■,*•«. •-■ MM ' HR.vi?* / * UWP^lkJglßar &■’ - : **mm •• ■'> '‘--'v';V ■*''/!'«;• >-/'' ' * ~- Jim , . —.——wmNMr J Oxendine announces Medicare scam arrest Special to the Journal Insurance Commissioner John W. Oxendine announced this week that an insurance sub-agent had been arrested for allegedly forging a signature on a Medicare Advantage application. “I intend to vigorously pursue anyone who would attempt to defraud an elderly client, as was the case here,” Oxendine said. Proof apparently comes in the form of Shane Michael Smith, 34, who worked as a sub-agent. He, according to a release from Oxendine’s office, has been charged with insurance fraud and first-degree forgery. A consumer complained to the College Park Police Department that she had fraudulently been signed up for a Medicare Advantage program. Though the consum er’s signature appeared on an application, handwriting analysis revealed that the signature did not belong to the consumer. Oxendine cautioned Georgians to be cautious when contacted about switching to a Medicare drug plan. The commis sioner offered the following tips to protect yditrself from scam artists: I * w %i &***''& %s - m All r vS Tf ■ '1 f I '{*£&*£»&£* JB M I 1 VJH%: ™ ji m wjgjjF Hg Ai, jflfr r^^fl 1 Jt^/ ' i 4 illfcir SlXyvi Vh Vjp|| fIHI bS®' •^■NSj^^'-'SjP We want to thank our Middle Georgia friends for being loyal customers for 25 years. Because of you we have been able to support our churches, schools and local charities. With your continued patronage we hope to serve * you and our community for another 25 years. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a vey Happy lew JearL PERRY RASPoHBI ■ Beware of door-to-door sales people. Agents cannot solicit business at your home without an appointment. Do not let uninvited agents into your home. ■ Check with your state’s insurance department to make sure the salesperson is a licensed agent. ■ Do not give out personal information, such as Social Security numbers, bank account numbers or credit card num bers to anyone you have not verified as a licensed agent. People are not allowed to request such personal information in their marketing activities and cannot ask for payment over the Internet. They must send you a bill. Once you decide to pur chase a plan and have verified that the agent is licensed, you may give the agent personal information to assist in enroll ment and billing. ■ Verify that the plan you have chosen is an approved Medicare plan. All of the approved plans are available at www.medi care.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). The 2008 open enrollment for Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage ends Dec. 31. ' iPERRTmWN SHOP Middle Georgia MedEal’AsfoJj^ Ml** 233 N. Houston Rd., Suite E • Houston Health Pavilion Warner Robins, GA 4 (478) 923-6633 WISHES From page iA exactly feel the love from those they service. You see their job is to provide for incarcerated felons. Based on that, it was only natural - although they prob ably would have done it any way out of the kindness of their hearts - when she went to her employees with the idea of buying gifts for needy children in the community, it was a sure bet “everybody was more than willing,” said Davis. So much so that when they went to the Department of Children and Family Services and the latter recommended one needy child, Davis and company asked: How about three? And so three it was/is. The next step in the process, which she explained began in November, was to get a wish Staff members of the McEver Probation Detention Center in Perry prepare toys for delivery as part of their effort to bring Christmas to some needy children. ENI/Gary Harmon , ' JHK & ■■£W~ MR W* Me + jjjc HTi ]§**? Fm w^ml jtj, i ‘ ’ r I fIHH jL-T iJ| 4 IP w J w Joe Rimando, M.D., C. Scott Edenfield, M.D., RaviShekarappa, M.D., Board Certified Internal & Pulmanary Medicine SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2007 ♦ list from the children - ages 1, 5 and 6. And they did. And it was big, covering everything from bicycles to videogames to clothes to puzzles and even for one child who is legally blind, “toys that light up and make noises.” Big, yes. But not as big as their hearts. They bought everything on every list, Davis added. The first of those gifts were delivered Tuesday with the rest, she said, slated to be delivered Thursday. The response from just that first delivery: “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. They couldn’t say it enough,” Davis said. So, who’s made who’s Christmas the better experi ence? It’s definitely a draw ... unless you add in the fact Davis said this had now become an annual tradition for the organization. ft Puccep'® 0 ft 1 fie * Lleagfo* ( K®* ran (, 9A L__ 57763