Category: Senior Medicare Patrol

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…

The Missouri SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) wants to remind you to read the mail that youreceive from Medicare. In doing so, you can help prevent Medicare fraud and abuse, which costtaxpayers an estimated $60 billion annually. One of the best ways to detect potential abuse or fraud on your Medicare account is to readyour Medicare…

August’s fraud fact from Missouri SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) deals with the unexpected knock on the door from someone trying to sell something. Older adults often are targets of door-to-door salespeople who might use unscrupulous and dishonest sales tactics to sell you something you don’t need. These folks may be trying to sell a new…

This month’s Missouri SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) Fraud Fact is to remind you toguard your Medicare card. The mailing of the new Medicare cards is finished, but thatdoesn’t mean the scammers are done trying to steal your personal information. One waythat they do that is by calling your home with an offer for free lamination…

Beware of unsolicited ‘free’ over-the-counter COVID testsThe Missouri SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) wants you to know that over-the-counter COVID-19 tests are not covered automatically by Medicare anymore. Under the recently-expired public health emergency, beneficiaries were able get over-the-counter tests with no out-of-pocket costs. Not anymore! That public health emergency ended May 11. You can still…