Be Smart Virginians!
Know Your Medicare Rights
The Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging SMP Program has developed a free Medicare Protection toolkit for older adults and caregivers in Virginia. The toolkits are a joint effort of the Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging Senior Medicare Patrol Program (SMP), Virginia Department for the Aging and Virginia Bureau of Insurance with support by Virginia TRIAD, SeniorNavigator and AARP Virginia. The toolkit provides useful information to help older adults and caregivers make wise healthcare decisions and protect themselves against Medicare and healthcare fraud.
- In the US, we lose as much as $80-$100 billion each year to health care fraud and errors. The federal government’s General Accounting Office estimate for every $10 spent on Medicare, a conservative estimate is that $1 is either lost to fraud, waste or abuse.
- Healthcare fraud drives up the costs and makes annual deductibles and monthly premiums higher than they need to be for Medicare and Medicaid. Although most providers are honest, both programs are common targets of fraud and abuse.
- Older consumers are often victims of health care fraud and scams. Medicare decisions can be very difficult because of all the options now available to older persons and the different plans available and the newer Medicare Part D plan for prescription drug coverage. Lots of choices lead to lots of confusion.
- Older beneficiaries and family members living in the community and in long-term care housing communities are often unaware of the private and public agencies and programs that assist beneficiaries with health insurance and long term care information and complaints.
- Be Smart Virginians! Know Your Medicare Rights – Detect and Report Healthcare Fraud contains:
- Questions for beneficiaries or family members to ask salespeople
- Facts on healthcare benefits options
- Things to look out for when considering a healthcare plan
- Four steps to safeguard their Medicare
- A contact list of helpful Virginia health and consumer agencies
Families and older adults who are interested in receiving a toolkit by mail should contact their local Area Agency on Aging. A complete list of all local Area Agencies on Aging is available on the Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging (VAAAA.org) and Virginia Department for the Aging websites. For additional information, call the V4A at 1-800-938-8885 or the Virginia Department for the Aging at 1-800-552-3402.
Seniors are encouraged to call their local Area Agency on Aging VICAP Program to receive free, confidential help and assistance about a variety of healthcare matters, including Medicare, Medicaid and health insurance issues.
Tell us how we're doing. Let us know how helpful the toolkit was for you.
The “Be Smart Virginians!” toolkits were made possible, in part by a grant from the Administration on Aging, Department of Health and Human Services. Nationally, there are 59 SMP programs funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Administration on Aging.
