Protecting
Seniors from Fraud, Waste and Abuse in Medicare and Medicaid
Charles
Clarkson, Esq, Coordinator
Medicare and Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse
cost taxpayers billions of dollars every year.
How to combat this growing problem is the main goal of the SMP of New
Jersey. The SMP of New Jersey is part of
a federally funded national effort appropriately named the Senior Medicare
Patrol (SMP) Program. This program
presently consists of 64 community-based projects located in every state, the
District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. The SMP
project, together with the skills and expertise of volunteers it trains, works
in the communities across New Jersey, educating and empowering Medicare and
Medicaid beneficiaries to take an active role in the detection and prevention
of health care fraud, waste and abuse. As part of the SMP program, the SMP of New Jersey: - Partners
with aging services network professionals, law enforcement, and others
to promote awareness of Medicare and Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse;
- Develops
and disseminates consumer educational materials about Medicare and
Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse through presentations, health fairs and
press events;
- Provides consumer counseling, and when necessary, serves as consumer advocate to resolve billing disputes and errors;
- Makes appropriate referrals to health care agencies and law enforcement for suspected cases of fraud, waste and abuse;
- Supports
technical assistance efforts designed to share and replicate common
strategies and successful practices among federal, state and local
officials, health care professionals, and community service providers
who serve Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and their families.
The SMP of New
Jersey makes a difference. Over the past
several years, SMP of New Jersey has trained many volunteers, reached out to
thousands of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries across the State of New Jersey
and has been a key factor in assisting seniors to take an active role in their
health care. An educated Medicare
recipient can do more to stop fraud, waste and abuse than all the efforts of
the government combined.
Now, with the
new Part D Medicare drug prescription program, which will cost the federal
government and taxpayers billions of dollars a year, it is even more important
to educate Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to take a more active role in
the health care treatment. The SMP of
New Jersey has incorporated into its community educational events information
that will be vital to Medicare beneficiaries in answering their questions on
Medicare Part D and their options during the annual open enrollment period
which will occur every year between November 15 and December 31.
Successful
community partnerships and local volunteer support are the keys to the success
of the SMP project. If you are
interested in (i) volunteering, or (ii) an organization that wants to speak
with the SMP of New Jersey about partnership opportunities or (iii) you would
like a speaker to educate your older adults about the importance of preventing
Medicare and Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse and the steps older adults can
take to avoid becoming victims of Medicare and Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse,
call JFVS at the SMP of NJ (Jewish Family and Vocational Service) at 732-777-1940 or 609-395-7979. Toll-free hotline at National Government Services: 877-678-4679
This
document was supported, in part, by a grant from the U.S. Administration on
Aging, Department of Health and Human Services.
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 U.S. Administration on Aging policy.
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