With so many changes and questions about the healthcare law, here are some friendly reminders about protecting yourself against Medicare fraud: Medicare fraud occurs when health care providers bill Medicare for health care services you never received. Medicare abuse occurs when health care providers do not follow good medical practices, leading to unnecessary Medicare costs and improper payments made to providers. Medicare fraud, waste and abuse cost the federal government millions of dollars each year. It is important for people with Medicare, caregivers and professionals to be on the lookout for Medicare fraud, waste and abuse. There are several things you can do to help prevent Medicare fraud: • Protect your Medicare number and Social Security number. Only give this information out to health care providers and individuals you trust. • Do not share your medical information with people who are not health care professionals and people you do not know. • Know what health care services are covered by Medicare. If you get your Medicare benefits through Original Medicare, the traditional Medicare program administered directly through the federal government, you can contact 800-MEDICARE or go online and visit medicare.gov to learn more about what health care services Medicare will cover. If you get your Medicare benefits through a Medicare Advantage plan, also known as a Medicare private health plan, you should contact your plan directly to learn more about your plan benefits. • Be wary of health care providers who promise you that Medicare will pay for treatments that are not medically necessary. In general, Medicare only covers care that is considered to be medically necessary. • Don’t accept services you feel you don’t need. Be wary of health care providers who try to pressure or scare you into getting tests, exams or expensive procedures that you feel are not medically necessary. The Affordable Care Act has empowered different organizations to combat Medicare fraud and abuse. The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) is a group of trained volunteers who show people with Medicare how to protect against, detect and report fraud. If you would like to learn more about Medicare fraud and abuse, contact the Senior Medicare Patrol by calling 877-808-2468.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 12:55:27 +0000
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