Learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones by attending a special event on June 6 at 3 p.m. at the Pagosa Senior Center.
Presenters from the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) and San Juan Basin Area Agency on Aging (SJBAAA) will discuss how to detect, prevent and report fraud abuse. ACSO staff will discuss general fraud targeted to seniors, and the SJBAAA will cover Medicare fraud.
Fraud costs Medicare an estimated $60 billion per year. It costs Medicare beneficiaries in time, stress, their medical identities and potentially their health. It costs families, friends and caregivers in worry and lost work when helping their loved ones recover from falling victim to Medicare fraud.
“Medicare fraud has a devastating impact on both beneficiaries and the Medicare program,” said Caryn Hill, Medicare and Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) counselor. “We teach people how to avoid experiencing Medicare fraud. By preventing fraud from happening, this program helps individuals and protects the Medicare program for generations to come.”
She added, “We’re excited to teach people about how to protect themselves from Medicare and general fraud and about the services that the Senior Medicare Patrol program offers.”
Medicare Fraud Prevention Week begins June 3. Everyone can help play a part in the fight against fraud:
• Medicare beneficiaries can monitor their insurance statements to make sure products and services received match what is on the statements. They can request free My Health Care Trackers from their local SMP.
• Caregivers can help by being on the lookout for items such as durable medical equipment (like boxes of knee braces) lying around the house that may have been shipped to the beneficiary without their or their doctor’s approval. They can remind their client or loved one to never give out their Medicare number or other personal information over the phone.
• Families can help by talking to their loved ones about protecting their Medicare number just as they would a credit card number. They can help their loved ones create a Medicare.gov account to access their Medicare statements online or remind them to open and review them when they come in the mail. They can also register their phone number on “do not call” lists and go to optoutprescreen.com to opt out of mailings.
• Partners and professionals can help by sharing SMP information on social media, referring clients and consumers to the SMP, and inviting the SMP to speak during a shared event.
• Health care providers can help by talking to patients about health care-related scams such as those related to durable medical equipment and genetic testing schemes. They can remind them that products and services should only be ordered by physicians they regularly see. Needed medical items should never be ordered through TV ads or unsolicited calls.
• Community members can help by looking out for older neighbors. When in public, they can be aware of older individuals purchasing gift cards in large amounts. They can encourage those they know to talk to a trusted source about their Medicare questions and tell neighbors about the most recent Medicare scams. They can even consider volunteering with the local SMP.
The SJBAAA SMP is ready to provide you with the information you need to protect yourself from Medicare fraud, errors and abuse; detect potential fraud, errors and abuse; and report your concerns. SMPs help educate and empower Medicare beneficiaries in the fight against health care fraud.
The Senior Center is located at 451 Hot Springs Blvd. For more information about the June 6 event, SMP or Medicare in general, please call the SJBAAA Medicare line at (970) 264-0501, ext. 2.
