When Marsha Kelly saw an ad in her local newspaper for a free back brace that helps seniors "reclaim their youth," she decided to call the 800 number.
A customer service representative answered her call and asked Kelly to share her Medicare number and the name of her doctor. Then the representative asked for permission to initiate a three-way call with her doctor's office.
"She said it looks like you qualify for the back brace, let's call your doctor while you're on the line," recalled Kelly, a 72-year-old retired school administrator from Monterey, Calif.
Once on the line, the doctor's receptionist was told that Kelly could get the back brace at no cost.