Letters to the editor (Sept. 6, 2020)
COVID-19 scams
The Kansas Insurance Department gets thousands of calls a month from consumers to agents to companies, inquiring about the laws and regulations of the state of Kansas. I love hearing from Kansans and I am thrilled at the opportunity to help. As a pharmacist, working directly with patients was my favorite part.
Sometimes the issue they inquire about is an easy fix, sometimes it takes a little more research, and sometimes we can’t do anything at all because it isn’t in our jurisdiction. But, it is important to me that you get an answer. For me, the toughest cases are the ones that could have been prevented.
Recently, the Insurance Department has seen an uptick in the number of complaints due to scams. There will always be bad actors, and it is up to each of us to be on the lookout for them in order to avoid falling victim to them. I want to warn you about a few scams we know are out there right now.
• “Coronavirus insurance” is not real. It does not exist. Anyone trying to sell it is trying to scam you.
• Beware of phone calls where people claim to be from your insurance company. They may even have some of your information. But, don’t change your policy during these phone calls.
• Request for personal information. Don’t give out any personal information (Medicare number, Social Security number, credit card number, etc.) to anyone over the phone.
If everyone behaved themselves, we wouldn’t have a Consumer Assistance Division, an Anti- Fraud Division or a Compliance and Enforcement Division for Securities. Each of these divisions is dedicated to ensuring the law is followed, identifying bad actors and helping consumers who have fallen victim. If the Kansas Insurance Department can help answer your questions, troubleshoot an issue or handle a complaint, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-432- 2484, or email at kid.webcomplaints@ks.gov. You can learn more about other insurance and securities related scams on the department’s website, insurance.kansas.gov.
It is an honor to serve you and your family in the Kansas Insurance Department. If there is something you think can work better or would help other Kansans have a better experience with insurance, please share it with me at kid.commissioner@ks.gov.
Gift to WSU
Gene Camarena, along with his lovely wife, Yolanda, are to be commended for a much-needed gift to Wichita State University. The $1 million gift will provide opportunities for students of color they otherwise might not have. Over half of the gift pledge will offer high impact scholarships for 20 Hispanic and Black students each year for the next four years.
Also, WSU is to be commended for providing matching funds for the same. These funds could be the start of a real effort to increase the underserved students at the university. In the future, I would hope to see more corporate entities engage in this type of gift pledging. It’s good for the students, good for the university and good for the city.
Best medicine
In the words of Dr. Theopia Jackson of the Association of Black Psychologists, “We are each other’s best medicine.”
Defying the lie of Black inferiority and white superiority and embracing the truth that we all belong to each other is a nonpartisan activity that is essential to the well-being of all communities. I call on Wichita City Manager Robert Layton, Wichita Police Department Chief Gordon Ramsay, and Kansas FOP Lodge 5 to embrace an explicitly anti-racist mindset that will guide all police funding and training, beginning this year.
Political parties aside, there can be no community health if those who purport to protect our community are not on the side of racial justice. Our community will know our police department is on the side of racial justice when there is transparency about complaints filed against officers, when every officer has participated in a minimum of 2.5 days of anti-racism analysis, and when our Police Department budget reflects community wellness as a priority instead of military-style readiness.
Let us defy the life of Black inferiority and explore together how we can be each other’s medicine in bringing healing to ourselves and our community.