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*Washington state Senior Medicare Patrol news*

*Breaking: DOJ health care fraud takedown*

The Washington state Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program expresses tremendous gratitude following the Department of Justice's announcement of its largest health care fraud takedown in history [ [link removed] ], resulting in criminal charges against 324 defendants in connection with over $14.6 billion in alleged fraud schemes.

This unprecedented enforcement action demonstrates the critical importance of vigilant fraud detection and reporting. The SMP is proud to support efforts to protect Medicare beneficiaries and taxpayers from these devastating fraud schemes.

*How Senior Medicare Patrol supports federal fraud enforcement*

The SMP plays a vital role in the fight against healthcare fraud by empowering Medicare beneficiaries to:


* *Be educated* about common fraud schemes, including telemedicine, genetic testing, and durable medical equipment fraud highlighted in the DOJ announcement.
* *Review medical bills and statements* to help beneficiaries spot suspicious billing patterns and medically unnecessary services.
* *Report* suspected fraud to appropriate authorities.

*The impact of beneficiary reports*

Medicare beneficiaries' reports of suspicious activity serve as crucial intelligence for federal investigators. Fraud schemes announced by the DOJ - including the $10.6 billion scheme involving fraudulent claims for urinary catheters and durable medical equipment using stolen identities – have been experienced and reported by vigilant beneficiaries in Washington state.

The SMP message to our communities is, “When unexpected medical equipment is received, charges for services not received are discovered, or calls from suspicious telemarketers are received, consumers are reporting it to SMP and federal authorities, helping to crack down on health care fraud.
Actions taken by federal authorities also highlight the sophistication of modern fraud schemes, including the use of artificial intelligence to create fake recordings of Medicare

*Significant financial impact*

The government's seizure of over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets and the prevention of over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims demonstrates the real-world impact of fraud detection and prevention efforts.

Money saved from fraudulent schemes remains available for legitimate medical care for Medicare beneficiaries.

*How beneficiaries can help*

SMP encourages beneficiaries to:


* *Review all medical statements *carefully for services not received or medically unnecessary.
* *Hang up on unsolicited calls *offering free medical equipment, genetic tests, or other services.
* *Never provide Medicare information *to unsolicited callers or marketers.
* *Report suspicious activity *immediately to Washington SMP program.

*About Senior Medicare Patrol*

The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program empowers and assists Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report healthcare fraud, waste, and abuse through outreach, counseling, and education. SMP projects are funded by the U.S. Administration for Community Living and operate in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

*For more information:*

To learn more about Washington Senior Medicare Patrol program or to report suspected Medicare fraud,visit us on the web [ [link removed] ] or call 1-800-562-6900.








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