SENIOR MEDICARE PATROL:  PROTECT...DETECT...REPORT

The Senior Medicare Patrol program is a volunteer-based program. It's goal is to educate seniors in Alabama about Medicare and Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse.

Protecting your personal information is the best line of defense in the fight against healthcare fraud and abuse. Every day consumers get ripped off by scam artists, causing Medicare and Medicaid to lose BILLIONS of dollars each year. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!

Here are some ways to take an active role in protecting your healthcare benefits:

• Treat your Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security numbers like a credit card number. Never give these numbers to a stranger.
• Medicare’s Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D) – help you make an informed choice about the plan that best suits your needs.
• Remember – Medicare does not call or visit you to sell anything.
• Don’t carry your Medicare or Medicaid card unless you will need it. Only take it to doctors’ appointments, visits to your hospital or clinic, or to the pharmacy.
• Record doctor visits, tests and procedures in your personal health care journal or calendar.
• Save Medicare Summary Notices (MSN) and Part D Explanation of Benefits (EOB). Shred the documents when they are no longer useful.

Even when you do everything right, there is a chance that you could be a target of healthcare fraud. There are a lot of ways that your personal information can be used without your permission. Here are some steps you can take to detect potential errors, fraud and abuse:

• Always review your MSN and EOB for mistakes. Access to your current Medicare account is available 24 hours a day. Simply visit www.MyMedicare.gov.
• Compare your MSN and EOB to your personal health care journal and prescription drug receipts to make sure they are correct.
• Look for three things on your billing statement:
  1. Charges for something you didn’t get.
  2. Billing for the same thing twice.
  3. Services that were not ordered by your doctor.

To report suspected fraud or abuse, contact CAAC at 334-240-4666 of 800-264-4680.