Page 39 - Central Savannah River Area - Seniors Resource Directory

Protect Yourself From Healthcare Fraud

Your phone rings. The number is not on your contact list but the caller id indicates that it is a local
number. Should you answer the call? Unfortunately, it is increasingly likely that if you answer you could
become a victim of a scam. It is estimated that seniors lose around $40 billion a year in scams. As
disturbing as this amount is it doesn’t include the estimated $60 to $100 billion that Medicare loses each
year to fraud, waste and abuse. The Georgia Senior Medicare Patrol wants you to know that you can
become involved in preventing healthcare fraud.
Senior Medicare Patrol
Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) is a federal program with a mission to empower Seniors to prevent health-
care fraud. They believe that as a beneficiary, you are the first line of defense against fraud, waste and
abuse. The SMP message is threefold. They want you to:

• Protect Your Medicare Identity
Guard you Medicare number. This is what phone scammers are after. Never give out your Medicare num-
ber over the phone. With your number they can charge Medicare for items or procedures that you do
not want nor need. You should have received your new Medicare card that does not contain your Social
Security number. If you did not receive your new card: Call 1-800-MEDICARE.

• Detect Fraud, Abuse and Errors
Review your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) or your Explanation of Benefits (EOB) for charges for ser-
vices you did not receive.

• Report Any Fraud or Errors
If you suspect that you are a victim of healthcare fraud contact the Georgia SMP at 877-272-8720.

The first step to becoming part of the solution to preventing this fraud is to become informed. Go to our
website and follow us on Facebook at Georgia Senior Medicare Patrol to learn more about preventing
healthcare fraud.
The SMP program offers a variety of presentations for all types of groups. (1-2 presenters; approx. 30
min. with Q&A) Call SMP to schedule presentations or to volunteer.

www.stopmedicarefraud.org
Georgia SMP 877-272-8720

Sponsored by eQHealth Solutions and funded in part through a grant from the U.S. Administration for Community
Living (Nos. 90MPPG0023, 90MPPG0024, 90MPPG0049)
Copyrighted SMI logo/image/tag courtesy Google Images