Though subsidized by the federal government, private insurers are responsible for delivering Part D to Medicare recipients. Federal officials are now warning against aggressive tactics being used by some of these insurers and salespeople to market the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. According to CMS, some companies are going door to door to market plans. Others are asking for "inappropriate" information such as social security numbers and bank account information. A CMS spokesman said the problems are developing "into a major compliance concern" and hinted that the agency is planning a crackdown.
- see this article from The New York Times