From the Desk of Commissioner Tim Temple
September marks not only the beginning of fall but the peak of hurricane season. Meteorologists predicted an above-average 2025 Atlantic hurricane season with 13 to 19 named storms, six to 10 of which are forecast to become hurricanes, including three to five major hurricanes. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. Whether we see that many storms this year or not is not relevant because we all know it just takes one storm to make a bad hurricane season.
That is why my team and I are encouraging residents to Be Insurance Ready by downloading the updated LDIConnect mobile app. This new version of the app includes a wide range of innovative features to help citizens stay informed, protected and connected during the height of hurricane season, which falls on September 10. The app also provides quick access to resources like the LDI Storm Claim Center and Consumer Services contact information. You can also access built-in displays for live regional weather and other alerts, news releases, access to guides and other consumer services resources, reporting insurance fraud, videos and company and agent searches. You can download the updated LDIConnect app in the
App Store and
Google Play.
To activate notifications or alerts, click the bell icon and allow phone notifications for the LDIConnect app.
Medicare: Open Enrollment Begins October 15
The Medicare Open Enrollment period begins October 15 and runs through December 7. This marks the time of year for you to explore your options and protect your personal information. Since health plans and prescriptions drug coverage can change each year, you should confirm that your health care provider and pharmacy will be in your plan’s network. You should also verify that your prescriptions will be covered. If you are considering changing plans, keep the following in mind:
- Do you have health insurance from another source?
- Do you have any chronic conditions?
- Which doctors and hospital do you use?
- Which prescriptions do you need and what pharmacy do you use?
Be on alert for scammers who try to defraud Medicare beneficiaries during open enrollment. Our counselors advise you to ignore unsolicited calls and contact LaSHIP (1-800-259-5300) or Senior Medicare Patrol (877-272-8720) if you have questions about Medicare.
September is Life Insurance Awareness Month
Did you know September is Life Insurance Awareness Month? Life insurance is a contract that pays a death benefit to your named beneficiaries after you die, in exchange for premiums you pay. The purpose is to protect your loved ones against financial hardships like the loss of income, final expenses and debts.
Though the LDI does not have a list of life insurance policies in Louisiana, we can help you attempt to locate life insurance information on a deceased relative via the Life Insurance Policy Search request form. However, the LDI does not have the capability to tell you if anyone has taken out a life insurance policy on a specific individual.
The Office of Health, Life and Annuities can help you:
- Better understand the terms and conditions of your life insurance policy or annuity contract,
- Locate the current company servicing your policy if there was a change in company ownership,
- Answer questions regarding a notification of benefits owed from a deceased relative,
- Tell you if a company is in good standing with the Department of Insurance.
Beware of Medicare Open Enrollment Scams
The LDI urges senior citizens to be alert for potential scams during Medicare’s Open Enrollment period.
Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period, which runs from October 15 until December 7, allows beneficiaries to make changes to their plans. However, scammers also use this time to beef up their efforts to trick unsuspecting seniors to steal money or personal information.
Sometimes scammers try to defraud victims by booking Medicare beneficiaries into new plans. Because insurance agents are not allowed to make cold calls to solicit business, agents sometimes engage outside marketers to call Medicare beneficiaries with promises to enroll them into “better” plans.
However, these calls often have nothing to do with placing someone into an improved plan and often result in the Medicare beneficiary moving to a plan that doesn’t meet their needs. LaSHIP urges Medicare beneficiaries to ignore unsolicited calls offering to help them switch to a different Medicare plan and other potential scams.
Seniors can also protect themselves from scams by following the advice below:
- Do not engage with unsolicited callers who want to talk with you about Medicare.
- Do not give unsolicited callers your name, your Medicare identification number or Social Security Number. Scammers could use this information to make changes to your plan without your knowledge.
- If you do get an unsolicited call about Medicare, ask the caller for their name and license number, then call Medicare or LaSHIP to report what you experienced.
- If you discover that your plan has been switched without your knowledge, call LaSHIP so that we can ask Medicare to change it back.
- If you have questions about Medicare, call a trusted partner like LaSHIP or the Senior Medicare Patrol.
If you have questions or are concerned you or a loved one may have been a victim of a scam, you can contact LaSHIP at 1-800-259-5300 or the Senior Medicare Patrol at 877-272-8720, or visit
www.stopmedicarefraud.org.
Upcoming Events
Louisiana Rural Economic Development Summit
Date: September 9
Time: 9:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Location: Paragon Casino Resort
711 Paragon Place, Marksville
Homeowners and Disaster Preparedness
Date: September 10
Time: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Location: VFW Hall 0 Post 8971
3809 Highway 190, Eunice
Homeowners 101
Who: Louisiana Department of Insurance and the Louisiana Housing Corporation
Date: September 11
Time: 9 a.m. - 10 a.m.
Location: Virtual
Register
Resource Management Institute Panel Discussion
Date: September 11
Time: 11 a.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Location: Southeastern Louisiana University College of Business
TBD
Shopping for Insurance
Date: September 11
Time: 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Location: Habitat for Humanity
2900 Elysian Fields Ave., New Orleans
Managing Risk and Be Insurance Ready
Date: September 12
Time: 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Location: Southern University Small Business Development Center
616 Harding Blvd., Baton Rouge
Creating Sustainable Neighborhood Developers
Date: September 13
Time: 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Location: Virtual
TBD
Capital Area Agency on Aging
Date: September 16
Time: 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Lamar Dixon Expo Center
9039 S. Landry Ave., Gonzales
State of the Market and Disaster Preparedness
Date: September 16
Time: 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Location: Lloyd B. Johnson Enforcement Training Center
947 Cambridge Drive, LaPlace
Homeowners 101
Who: Louisiana Department of Insurance and the Louisiana Housing Corporation
Date: September 25
Time: 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Location: Virtual
Register
Managing Risk and Be Insurance Ready
Date: September 27
Time: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Location: Mineral Springs CME Church
451 New Mineral Springs Road, Calhoun