Unauthorized claims related to urinary catheters that weren’t ordered by Medicare beneficiaries were exposed as the “Fraud of the Month” by the New York StateWide Senior Action Council. Scammers are targeting seniors and billing for supplies that aren’t medically necessary and the council wants to warn seniors and help them file complaints.
“This activity hurts the Medicare program and compromises the beneficiary’s medical identity,” said Maria Alvarez, Executive Director of StateWide, a 52-year-old non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for the needs and well-being of New York’s approximately 2.5 million senior citizens. The bogus charges can range from $1,200 to $2,400, Alvarez noted.
“One of our key initiatives is the Senior Medicare Patrol, the definitive resource for New York State’s senior citizens and caregivers to help detect, prevent, and report Medicare fraud and waste,” Alvarez explained. An important component of the Senior Medicare Patrol program is a monthly “Fraud of the Month,” which calls attention to the various kinds of fraud perpetrated on our State’s elderly. This month we are advising seniors to watch out for Unwanted Catheters Billed to Medicare.
“Thankfully, we have organizations such as StateWide to keep an eye out for fraud and help seniors avoid scams,” said state Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano. “They are an important part of the system.”
StateWide, which is the state’s grantee/administrator for the federal program. advises New York’s Seniors to protect themselves from such fraud by doing the following:
Do not accept ANY medical supplies unless they were expressly ordered by a trusted physician or caregiver.
Be suspicious of those who offer “free” medical supplies, then ask for your health insurance information.
Medicare Beneficiaries should always be cautious of any unsolicited requests for their Medicare number, do not give it out to ANYONE but your doctor or other trusted caregiver.
Review Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs) and Explanation of Benefits (EOBs) for claims out of state or by a doctor who is unfamiliar.
Seniors and their caregivers can report attempts by healthcare practitioners to offer Urinary Catheters or any other medical supplies improperly by calling the Senior Medicare Patrol at 800-333-4374 or visiting www.nysenior.org. When calling, be ready with any information relating to the violation including the name of the person spoken to, date, and any other details about the incident.