Category: Senior Medicare Patrol

Important Message About Medicare Phone CallsDo you receive a lot of unknown numbers or “spam” phone calls? The Missouri SMP wants to spread the word that Medicare will NOT call you asking to verify your Medicare number, for your personal information or try to sell you anything.There are a lot of scammers and telemarketers making…

Your Medicare number is private information and can be just as valuable as a bank account number. Scam artists try to use your Medicare number for fraudulent billing! The Missouri Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) strongly advises that you be careful about sharing your Medicare number. You should only share your number with your trusted health…

Protecting Yourself from Pharmacy & Prescription Drug FraudPharmacy and prescription drug fraud in Medicare costs taxpayers billions every year and can put your health, benefits, and personal information at risk. Let’s talk about some ways it can happen and how you can stay a step ahead of the scam. There may be problems with the…

Watch for Urinary Catheter Charges on Your Medicare StatementThe Missouri SMP has noticed an uptick in Medicare beneficiaries finding charges for urinary catheters on their Medicare Summary Notices (MSN) and Explanation of Benefits (EOB) that they did not order, need, or receive. This is a common Medicare scam. Scammers bill Medicare for catheters that were…

As we step into the New Year, many are making resolutions to make 2026 our best year yet. At theMissouri SMP, we are too! We invite you to join us in making a commitment to protect yourself andothers from Medicare fraud this year. Here’s how you can help: I will PREVENT fraud from happening. The…

Protect yourself from these common holiday scams.The holiday season is here! This is a wonderful time for family, friends, and festive fun. But it’s also a time when scammers try to take advantage of people. While you shop, bake cookies, or enjoy your traditions, please keep an eye out for these common holiday scams. We…

A FRIENDLY REMINDER: READ YOUR MEDICARE MAIL Medicare fraud and abuse costs taxpayers billions of dollars every year. By consistently checking your healthcare statements, you can help catch mistakes and stop dishonest billing. What to Look For: Every 3 months, depending on whether you have Medicare or an Advantage plan, you should receive a Medicare…

Some Medicare Advantage plans may have supplemental benefits. These are services that Original Medicare cannot cover. But not all supplemental benefits are the same! Let’s review what you should know about these extra benefits. What are supplemental benefits? supplemental benefit is an item or service covered by a Medicare Advantage plan that is not covered…

Medicare Advantage Supplemental Benefits Some Medicare Advantage plans may have supplemental benefits. These are services that Original Medicare cannot cover. But not all supplemental benefits are the same. Today we’ll discuss what to know about them. Point 1: Understand supplemental benefits.Some Medicare Advantage plans may cover items or services that, by law, Original Medicare cannot…