The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) has been given a $9 million grant from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to continue combating Medicare fraud.
"We've dedicated $9 million in grants this year on top of another $9 million last year to expand the state-based Senior Medicare Patrol Programs, which are vital to empower seniors to identify and fight fraud," said Peter Budetti, CMS deputy administrator and director of the Center for Program Integrity, in a statement about the grants.
The SMP program, operated by the Administration on Aging in partnership with CMS and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General, recruits and trains retired professionals and other seniors on how to recognize and report healthcare fraud. It has about 5,000 volunteers nationwide. Volunteers work in their communities, educating Medicare beneficiaries, family members, caregivers and others about reviewing their Medicare notices and Medicaid claims (if applicable) in order to identify errors and potentially fraudulent activity.
Since the start of the program in 1997, through more than one million one-on-one counseling sessions, the volunteers of SMP have reached more than four million Medicare beneficiaries.
The funds provided by the grants will be used to continue to increase awareness about how to prevent, detect and report healthcare fraud. Those states identified with high-fraud areas will see increased funding targeted to supporting strategies for collaboration, media outreach and referrals.
Follow HFN associate editor Stephanie Bouchard on Twitter @SBouchardHFN.