How to catch fraud on your Medicare Summary Notice

The Medicare Trust Fund, also known as Medicare insurance, is on the path to depletion. There are more retirees using Medicare funds than there are laborers paying in to cover the costs. However, this is not the only thing depleting Medicare. Fraud and abuse are other causes. "It is estimated that over $100 billion is lost each year in the United States due to health care fraud and abuse, accounting for 3% to 10% of all health expenditures," according to an article distributed by MedRxiv. The article continued: "One primary target for overutilization and fraud is Medicare, for which utilization data is publicly available. Over 63 million Americans are currently enrolled in Medicare, and the total cost of the program in 2021 is (about) $900 billion, accounting for 21% of total national health care expenditures." If we want to do our part to keep Medicare funds where they need to be, it is up to all of us to detect fraud on our Medicare summary notices. But this task is easier said than done. Looking at such a summary notice can be overwhelming. That's only because no one has made the time to explain how to interpret them. To fix this problem, Serving Our Seniors is hosting a forum, titled How to Catch Fraud and Your Medicare Summary Notice, from 1:30-3 p.m. on June 5 at the Erie County Senior Center, 620 E. Water St, Sandusky. A certified crime prevention specialist from Senior Medicare Patrol will teach those who have traditional Medicare insurance, which is not a Medicare Advantage Plan, how to detect fraud on this document. An audience of 30 or more is required to justify the time and travel of the speaker. RSVPs are due no later than noon on May 30. To reserve your seat, call the Serving Our Seniors reservation line at 419-504-0585 or email mail@servingourseniors.org. Leave your name, phone number and the date of this forum. If the forum is canceled, you will be notified by telephone. Q&A Q: I am disgusted with my homeowners' insurance. Is Serving Our Seniors doing anything to help senior citizens in this respect? A: Yes. Mark your calendar for the forum happening from 1:30-3 p.m. on June 12 at the Erie County Senior Center. We are hosting a forum titled What You Should Know About Your Homeowners Insurance But Probably Don't. Speakers include Brent Gardner, of Gardner & Strayer Insurance Group, and John Frankel, attorney with the Wickers, Herzer, Panza law firm. RSVPs are due no later than June 5. Call Serving Our Seniors at 419-504-0585 or email mail@servingourseniors.org. Leave your name, phone number and the date of this forum. If the forum is canceled, you will be notified by telephone.