Volunteer group helps seniors avoid Medicare scams

A recent article and editorial in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser about elderly victims of scams brought attention to a serious and growing problem in Hawaii and the nation ("Defrauding of elderly getting worse in Hawaii," May 24; and "Protect elderly from scammers," May 26).

Just around that time, a woman had called the Senior Medicare Patrol, seeking help for a parent who had been fleeced by a repair scheme. Unlike the $1,000 that Milnor Lum lost in a sweepstakes scam that he spoke about to the Star-Advertiser, this senior’s loss was more than 10 times greater.

While the Senior Medicare Patrol does not address sweepstakes and repair scams, some of the approaches used in those schemes are the same for Medicare-related scams.

Seniors are overwhelmed by phone calls, emails, postcards, and ads on TV and in newspapers and magazines, which push offers of a service or product for free or at a discount, if you reply now, and if you give up your Medicare number.

Amazingly, many people, especially the children of elder Medicare beneficiaries, do not know that Medicare numbers are based on Social Security numbers. That is why seniors and their Medicare numbers — and the records that store their Medicare numbers — are prime targets for hackers and identity thieves.

While we were happy that President Barack Obama recently signed into law a bill Congress passed to remove Social Security numbers from current and new Medicare cards, we are aware that the change may take as long as eight years to achieve. Medicare numbers will continue to be at risk for identity theft.

For that reason, we at the Senior Medicare Patrol will not ease up on our educational outreach to urge Medicare beneficiaries to protect their Medicare numbers, to check their medical statements to detect errors and signs of possible fraud, and to report questionable billing to the Senior Medicare Patrol (smphawaii.org).

The patrol is funded by a grant from the Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and is sponsored by the Executive Office on Aging, state Department of Health.

Nationally, health care fraud is the most costly type of fraud — estimated at over $80 billion a year. Of that, Medicare fraud is about $60 billion.

Since 1997, when congressional legislation called for a grassroots organization of volunteers to educate their peers to prevent Medicare fraud, the Senior Medicare Patrol Program has grown from the original 12 projects to 53, encompassing 49 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, with more than 6,000 volunteers who provide education and counseling.

The Senior Medicare Patrol does not have law enforcement authority. However, if a report we receive indicates a potential for fraud or abuse, we will refer the case to the appropriate agency to investigate.

Our role is to protect the integrity of Medicare through education to empower seniors to prevent health care fraud, abuse and waste.

Every dubious phone call hung up on, imposter turned away at the door, misleading ad ignored, or questionable postcard torn up is a measure of prevention.