Why is This Week Important?

Medicare loses an estimated $60 billion each year due to fraud, errors, and abuse. Every day, issues related to these concerning matters affect people across the country, often costing them money, time, and well-being. Medicare-related errors contribute to this annual loss even though errors can be honest health care billing mistakes. However, a pattern of errors committed by a physician or provider could be considered a red flag of potential fraud or abuse if not corrected.

When people steal from Medicare, it hurts us all and is big business for criminals. Some common examples of fraud or abuse could include:

• Charging for services or supplies that were not provided
• Misrepresenting a diagnosis, a person’s identity, the service provided, or other facts to justify payment
• Prescribing or providing excessive or unnecessary tests and services

Falling prey to consumer scams or health care fraud may mean that your Medicare number has been “compromised” as a result of medical identity theft. Theft from Medicare leaves less available funds for those needing services now as well as those needing Medicare in the future. 

The Illinois SMP is here to offer assistance if you feel you have been affected by any potential Medicare fraud, please call the Illinois SMP at AgeOptions at (800)699-6043.

Please visit www.illinoissmp.org to download all of our tip sheets to help prevent Medicare fraud.

Medicare Fraud Prevention Week focuses on the actions everyone can take to prevent Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse.

June 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Program and to commemorate this event the SMP is creating a national week focused on Medicare fraud prevention.

Learn how you can protect yourself and your loved ones from Medicare fraud by joining Facebook Live the week of June 5 - June 11 at 10:00 am Central to learn how you can play a part in Medicare fraud prevention.

Event Schedule:

• 6/5 Medicare Fraud Prevention Week Kicks off!
• 6/6 Beneficiaries
• 6/7 Caregivers
• 6/8 Families
• 6/9 Partners and Professionals
• 6/10 Health Care Providers
• 6/11 Community

Travis Trumitch, Director of the Illinois SMP Program will be speaking about Medicare fraud and caregivers today at 10:00 am! You can join us all week on Facebook Live at this link here. 

In 2020, an Illinois man Kyle D. McLean, 36, of Arlington Heights, pleaded guilty before a U.S. District Judge, with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with a scheme to commit health care fraud. McLean and certain of his conspirators operated Privy Health Inc., a company that acquired DNA samples and Medicare information from hundreds of patients through various methods including kick backs. In 2018, Medicare paid his clinical laboratories approximately $4.6 million for fraudulent genetic tests. 

You can read more in this Department of Justice press release here.

The best way to detect fraud is to always read your Medicare Summary Notice or Explanation of Benefits from your insurance company and watch out for services that you did not receive or other billing errors. You have the right to ask your doctor about the services you are receiving. 

If you or someone you know has a been a victim of a potential genetic testing scam, please call the Illinois SMP Hotline at (800)699-9043.

June and July 2022 Workshops

In-Person Only

June 7^th at 2:00 pm – Introduction to SMP with BINGO

Cedar Village of Arlington Heights (320 W Campbell St, Arlington Heights, IL 60005)

June 10^th at 10:00 am – Introduction to SMP with BINGO

Proviso Township Office (4565 Harrison St, Hillside, IL 60162)

June 16th at 10:30 am – Introduction to SMP (Bilingual)

Summit Public Library District (6233 S Archer Rd, Summit, IL 60501)

June 22nd at 1:30 pm – Introduction to SMP with BINGO

Maywood Park District (921 S 9th Ave, Maywood, IL 60153)

June 23^rd at 10:40 am – Introduction to SMP with BINGO (Spanish)

Mt Carmel Church Meal Site (1101 23rd Ave, Melrose Park, IL 60160)

June 30 at 11:30 am – Types of Medicare Fraud with BINGO

Markham City Hall Building (16310 S. Kedzie, Markham, IL 60428)

July 6^th at 12:00 pm – Introduction to SMP with BINGO

Village Hall (5000 Glencoe St, McCook, IL 60525) 

Hybrid (Zoom and in-person options)

June 10^th , June 17^th and June 24^th at 10:00 am - Introduction to SMP with BINGO

Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86508483574

In person: 4565 Harrison St, Hillside, IL 60162

July 1^st at 10:30 am – Types of Medicare Fraud with BINGO

In person: Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library (3541 Park Ave, Brookfield, IL 60513)

Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81491217838

Zoom Only

June 16th at 6:30 pm – Types of Medicare Fraud

Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84316368939 

Phone: 312-626-6799 Meeting ID: 843 1636 8939