Unwanted Catheters Billed to Medicare: The New York StateWide Senior Action Council's "Medicare Fraud of the Month"

ALBANY, N.Y., March 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York StateWide Senior Action Council (StateWide), an organization dedicated to advocacy for the rights of seniors in New York State, today announced its Medicare Fraud of the Month for March; Unwanted Catheters Billed to Medicare.

The StateWide Fraud of the Month is a component of the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), the definitive resource for New York State's senior citizens and caregivers to detect, prevent, and report healthcare fraud, errors, and abuse. StateWide is New York's grantee/administrator for this Federal Program.

"Medicare beneficiaries across the country are seeing claims on their Medicare statements related to urinary catheters that were not needed or received in error.

"Scammers are targeting Medicare beneficiaries and billing for supplies that aren't medically necessary, which hurts the Medicare program and compromises the beneficiary's medical identity," explained Maria Alvarez, Executive Director of StateWide.

Medicare beneficiaries across the country are finding charges worth thousands of dollars on their Medicare statements related to urinary catheters that were not needed or received by mistake. The suspicious claim shows charges for 200+ urinary catheter kits being billed to Medicare for amounts ranging from $1,200 - $2,400.

Alvarez advises New York's Seniors to protect themselves from such fraud:

• If you receive medical supplies such as catheter kits in the mail, don't accept it unless it was ordered by your physician.
• Be suspicious of those who offer you "free" medical supplies, then ask for your health insurance information.
• Medicare Beneficiaries should always be cautious of any unsolicited requests for their Medicare number.
• Review Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs) and Explanation of Benefits (EOBs) for claims out of state or by a doctor you've never seen before.

If you are billed for services or supplies that you didn't receive or weren't ordered by your doctor, or If you suspect any kind of Medical Fraud report it to the NYS Senior Medicare Patrol at 800-333-4374 or visit www.nysenior.org.

The NYS SMP and their trained counselors and volunteers help educate Medicare beneficiaries in the fight against health care fraud. It also provides information and educational presentations.

It is estimated that Medicare fraud costs taxpayers over $60 billion dollars nationally per year. To help combat this illicit industry StateWide announced its Fraud of the Month program in 2022 to highlight these scams being perpetrated on the State's seniors.

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SOURCE New York StateWide Senior Action Council, Inc.