Category: Senior Medicare Patrol

How you can protect yourself from Medicare Scams Self-defense is a valuable life skill to have. Many, however, don’t think of scam self-defense. Anestimated $7 million an hour is lost to healthcare fraud, errors or abuse. When people steal fromMedicare, it hurts us all and can be considered easy money for criminals. The October Fraud…

This month’s Fraud Fact from the Missouri SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) highlights durable medical equipment (DME) scams and ways to protect yourself and Medicare dollars. Each year Medicare spends billions of dollars on DME such as braces, walkers and other gear prescribed by a doctor to aid them in things from chronic illnesses to healing…

This month’s Fraud Fact from the Missouri SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) focuses on how toprotect yourself from ambulance fraud. Did you know Medicare covers ambulance services? To be covered it must be medicallynecessary, the crew and ambulance must meet certain standards, and it must be the only safetransportation option to the nearest Medicare covered health…

This month’s Fraud Fact from the Missouri SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) focuses on phone calls to enroll or renew Medicaid benefits. During the COVID pandemic, Medicaid eligibility and re-enrollment qualifications changed. As of April 2023, the federal Public Health Emergency required states to keep existing Medicaid recipients enrolled even if they exceeded the income level…

Today, the Missouri Senior Medicare Patrol is sharing four tips from the National Council on Aging to protect you from scams. First, hang up on government imposters. They may call claiming to be from the IRS, Social Security, or Medicare. The phone number on caller ID may match the toll-free number for the agencies. The…

It is income tax time, and that gives the Missouri SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) one more reason to remind you about scammers. The scam artists might be coming at you with emails, phone calls and snail mail this tax season. Be ready. The Internal Revenue Service recently warned of a surge of fraudulent emails impersonating…

Make a resolution to impact a life. Help us in the fight against healthcare fraud. Many people are scammed by people who earn their trust, but by helping them understand current scams and how to protect themselves, they’ll be one stepcloser to not becoming a victim. SMP projects match a volunteer’s skills and interests to…

If you get an unexpected call saying you owe money for medical services, be wary. Reports of phony medical bills and collection departments are on the rise. Receiving a call for a medical bill you don’t remember and needs to be paid immediately or you’ll be served has red flags written all over it. The…

It is that time of year again – open enrollment for Medicare prescription drug coverage andMedicare Advantage plans. Open enrollment occurs annually from October 15 to December 7. Ifyou are on Medicare, you have an opportunity to change your Part D Prescription Drug Plan and/orAdvantage plan during this time.In order to safely navigate through changes,…

Adult Immunizations: Do you have your shots?This Month’s Fraud Fact is centered around immunizations. The Missouri Senior Medicare Patrolwants to remind you that vaccines can help older adults. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that adults 60 and older get the new 2023-2024 updatedCovid-19 vaccine. The seasonal flu vaccine usually is recommended as well. The…