Frequently Asked Questions
The MA SMP Program educates beneficiaries, family members, caregivers and professionals on how to detect, prevent and report healthcare errors fraud and abuse.
Healthcare fraud is when a provider, organization or an individual deliberately deceives Medicare, another insurer or another beneficiary in order to gain some sort of unauthorized payment.
Review all medical bills, Medicare Summary Notices (MSN) and Explanation of Benefits (EOB). Ask the following questions:
- Were all listed services and prescriptions received?
- Is beneficiary being billed for a service or procedure she/he did not receive?
- Did the doctor order these services?
- Do the prescriptions listed match the prescription received?
- Is a single service billed more than once?
- Are the dates of services correct?
- Are the dollar amounts questionable?
- Protect your personal information. Treat your Medicare card as you would any credit card.
- Don’t leave your Medicare number on a phone message or send it in an email.
- Don’t accept offers of money, free food or gifts in exchange for your Medicare number. Remember: Your Medicare number is unique to you.
- Legitimate offers of free medical testing do not require the presentation of a Medicare number.
Massachusetts Senior Medicare Patrol Program 800-892-0890
Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office 617-727-2200
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 800-Medicare or 800-633-4227
Medicare Fraud Strike Force, 800-Medicare or 800-633-4227
The Medicare Advocacy Project (MAP) www.GBLS.org; 800-323-3205
You are a victim of identity theft if someone steals your personal information and uses it without your permission. This is a serious crime and wreaks havoc with your credit, possibly your finances and even your reputation; it can take a long time and much effort to resolve. It can also be very costly. First thing you should do is contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency. They will guide you in repairing the damage that identity theft can cause and reduce the risk that identity theft will happen to yo again. Visit www.identitytheft.gov to file a report and get started with a recovery plan. The following are numbers for the FTC and Credit Bureau which you should also contact immediately.
Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), www.ftc.gov
(877) 438-4338
(202) 326-2502 (TDD) Credit Reporting BureausEquifax, www.equifax.com
(800) 685-1111—For Credit Reports
(800) 525-6285 – To Report Fraud
(800) 255-0056— To Report Fraud—(TDD)Experian, www.experian.com
(888)-397-3742 – For Credit Reports
(888)397-3742 – To Report Fraud
(800) 972-0322 – To Report Fraud –(TDD)TransUnion, www.transUnion.com
(800) 916-8800—For Credit Reports
(800) 680-7289—To Report Fraud
(877) 553-7803— To Report Fraud—(TDD)
For Seniors with Medicare insurance or Medicare Advantage not much will change under the Affordable Care Act (Click Here To Enroll) ( ObamaCare (Click Here To Enroll). Most seniors will enjoy the benefits, rights and protections of the new health care( Click Here To Enroll) law like expanded access to wellness visits, preventative care and drugs with little or no change to their insurance costs. Although most seniors will have nothing to worry about, some higher earning seniors may see their Medicare or Medicare Advantage premiums rise slightly or be affected by some taxes like the capital gains tax.
Keep an SMP Health Care Journal
Report any concerns to: add links such as your healthcare provider, MA SMP Program
Volunteer with us!
Senior Medicare Patrol Volunteer Program
Call to Action Form
Volunteer with MA SMP!
We invite you to join a team of trained volunteers to counsel and mentor elder consumers to become actively engaged in their healthcare. Become a volunteer and make a significant contribution in ensuring access to quality care and helping a fellow citizen to navigate the complexities of the healthcare payment system. We encourage you to take a stance.
