2019 Annual Partners Guide: Live Healthy DeKalb Coalition

Page 32

GEORGIA SENIOR MEDICARE PATROL

Since 1997, the U.S. Administration on Aging has funded Senior Medicare Patrol programs in all 50 states and U.S. territories. The programs recruit and train retired professionals to teach Medicare beneficiaries how to recognize and report possible health care fraud in the Medicare and Medicaid systems. The programs also work to resolve beneficiary complaints of possible fraud, waste and abuse. Working alongside state and national fraud control and consumer protection entities, Senior Medicare Patrol programs have been instrumental in returning millions of dollars to the Medicare system.

The Senior Medicare Patrol message is simple: Protect, detect and report. Recipients should: •

Protect their Medicare benefits and the Medicare system by protecting their Medicare number.

Not give their Medicare number to people they don’t know.

Not give their Medicare number over the phone.

Say “no” to offers of free medical equipment.

Report any suspicious activity.

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2019 LHD Annual Partners Guide

A Medicare number can be more valuable than a credit card number if someone uses it to bill Medicare for services and products that were not received. For more information or to report suspected Medicare fraud, waste or abuse, visit stopmedicarefraud.org or call (877) 272-8720.


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