Caregiver Tips to Help Prevent

Medicare Fraud

As a caregiver of an older adult, you may need to be proactive in helping your partner/parent/loved one from becoming a victim of fraud. Medicare Open Enrollment is approaching very soon and we have we have listed some tips below from the Illinois SMP to fight these potential scams.

Remind your partner/parent/loved one to be mindful of who they are talking to on the phone. Scammers sometimes pretend to be from Medicare, Social Security, law enforcement, etc. They may ask for personal information in order to keep your benefits or to keep you out of jail. These threats are not legitimate.
Remind your loved one that if someone on the phone says things like, “You are eligible for a free brace”, “This is time sensitive”, “You won”, “Just pay shipping”, or “I just need you to confirm your banking or Medicare number”, not to provide it and hang up the call.
Remind your loved one that they have the right to say no and end the call.
Set a reminder for when Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs) or Explanations of Benefits (EOBs) should arrive to look over and check for suspicious claims.
Remind your loved one to never send their Social Security number, Medicare number, or banking information to solicitors.

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)699-9043.

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

The Illinois SHIP Program is Here to Help During Open Enrollment

The Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) is a free statewide health insurance counseling service for Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers. They are huge help during the Open Enrollment period as they will help put you in a plan that best fits your needs.

SHIP counselors are trained to:

Educate and answer questions on Medicare Parts A, B, C, D, and Medigap plans.
Explain the types of Medicare options available such as traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage HMO’s and PPO’s.
Compare costs and coverage of Medicare Advantage plans by zip code.
Compare Part D drug plans and assist with enrollment.
Explore cost saving programs and make application to programs such as Extra Help for Part D and the Medicare Savings Programs.
Give Peace of Mind to beneficiaries knowing they can make educated choices to match their health insurance needs.

There are IL SHIP sites located all across Illinois. You can find your local IL SHIP site here.

You can visit the Illinois SHIP website here for more information or call (800)252-8966; (888)-206-1327 (TTY).

September 2022 Presentations and Fairs*

September 7th 12:00 pm – Play Bingo with SMP!

Village of McCook (5000 Glencoe Ave. McCook, IL 60525)

September 8th 11:00 am – Senior Health Fair

Hanover Township Aging Services (240S II Route 59, Bartlett, IL 60103)

September 13th 2:00 pm – Types of Medicare Fraud

Morton Grove Public Library (6140 Lincoln Ave. Morton Grove, IL 60053)

September 15th 1:00 pm – Farmers Market in Harvey, IL

Christian Family Health Center (31 W 155^th St. Harvey, IL 60426)

September 20th 11:00 am – Introduction to Medicare Fraud with BINGO

Hanover Township Aging Services (240 S II Route 59 Bartlett, IL 60103)

September 22th 11:00 am – Introduction to Medicare Fraud with BINGO

Worth Public Library District (6917 W 111^th St. Worth, IL 60482)

September 23rd 9:00 am – Stickney Township Senior Fair

Township of Stickney Senior Center (7745 Leamington Ave. Burbank, IL 60459)

September 27th 11:00 am – Types of Medicare Fraud with BINGO

Riverdale Public Library (208 W 144^th St. Riverdale, IL 60827)

September 29th 11:00 am – Types of Medicare Fraud with BINGO

Park Forest Public Library (400 Lakewood Blvd. Park Forest, IL 60466)

*Please note that all events are in person

Have a wonderful week!

Travis Trumitch

travis.trumitch@ageoptions.org

Please share this Fraud Alert with colleagues, consumers, or other professionals in your area. If you would like to sign up to receive the Fraud Alert directly, visit click here.

This project was supported, in part by grant number 90MPPG0036, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy.

The Illinois SMP at AgeOptions partners with agencies across the state to empower and assist Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report health care fraud, errors, and abuse through outreach, counseling, and education.

Please share this Fraud Alert with colleagues, consumers, or other professionals in your area and visit our website to sign up for our Fraud Alert email list.

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