SENIOR MEDICARE PATROL

SENIOR MEDICARE PATROL VOLUNTEERS READY TO BATTLE MEDICARE FRAUD!

Trident Area Agency on Aging and The South Carolina Lieutenant Governor’s Office empowered six new Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) volunteers with the first statewide training on combatting Medicare fraud in our community. Each year, billions of American taxpayers’ dollars are wasted on improper payments to individuals, organizations and contractors. In 2009, improper payments totaled $98 billion, with $54 billion stemming from Medicare and Medicaid.

The SMP programs, also known as Senior Medicare Patrol programs, help Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries avoid, detect, and prevent health care fraud. In doing so, they not only protect older persons, they also help preserve the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Because this work often requires face-to-face contact to be most effective, SMPs nationwide recruit and teach nearly 4,500 volunteers every year to help in this effort.

SMP staff and their highly trained volunteers conduct outreach to Medicare beneficiaries in their communities through group presentations, exhibiting at community events, and one-on-one counseling. Their primary goal is to teach Medicare beneficiaries how to protect their personal identity, identify and report errors on their health care bills and identify deceptive health care practices, such as illegal marketing, providing unnecessary or inappropriate services and charging for services that were never provided.

In 2009, the 54 Senior Medicare Patrol Projects had a total of 4,444 active volunteers. Medicare funds recovered that were attributable to the projects were $76,176 and total savings to Medicare, Medicaid, beneficiaries and others were $214,060. The projects had 5 percent fewer active volunteers in 2009, compared to the number in 2008. Despite this fact, total savings to Medicare, Medicaid, beneficiaries and others were over three times higher in 2009, compared to totals in 2008.

Trident Area Agency on Aging and the newly certified SMP volunteers need your help to avoid, detect, and prevent health care fraud by scheduling informational presentations in the tricounty area. Take action and call Trident Area Agency on Aging to report suspicious Medicare charges or to schedule a group presentation. 843-554-2275 or www.tridentaaa.org

Contact: Angela Edwards

Program Manager (I-CARE)

843-554-2279