California Elder Justice Coalition (CEJC)
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Senior Medicare Patrol

CEJC is partnering with California Health Advocates’ (CHA) Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) to spread the word about how Medicare fraud harms beneficiaries, their caregivers, and the public. SMP recruits and train volunteers to raise awareness about Medicare fraud and to work one-on-one with beneficiaries to investigate and resolve complaints. California’s SMP is one of 54 programs across the country that are supported by the Administration for Community Living and is operated by the non-profit California Health Advocates (CHA), which brings additional expertise and resources to the partnership. CHA is the leading voice for Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Programs (HICAP) in the state. HICAPS also engage volunteers to provide counseling, education, and individual assistance on health benefits and long-term care. 
New! (September 2, 2020) HICAP Flyer Available
In these challenging times of COVID, fires, smoke and heat, Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) wants older adults and persons living with disabilities to know that the HICAPs are providing free, unbiased information about Medicare during the annual open enrollment season. SMP has produced informational flyers in English and Spanish:
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CHA-SMP collaborates with advocacy organizations across the state and nation to address the adverse impacts of the social determinants of health, including  lack of healthcare and education, isolation, and poverty. Together, CHA-SMP partners serve persons with disabilities and older adults, their families, and caregivers. They raise awareness, increase safety and security, and provide resources that enhance lives. For more on the partners, see Partners.
  • The new partnership could not have come at a better time, when the COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed a barrage of scams that target older adults. These range from fake treatments, to extortionist prices for protective gear, to the theft of personal information. The turbulent market has panicked many investors, raising their risk for investment fraud as they try to secure their assets. The staggering number of COVID-19 related deaths in nursing homes is raising questions about facilities’ infection control procedures and monitoring.   
  • Lisa Nerenberg, Executive Director, CEJC


What is Medicare Fraud?

Medicare fraud ranges from health care providers who submit bills for services they have not provided to criminal neglect and abuse by nursing homes that receive Medicare funding. The harm to beneficiaries can be devastating. A study by Johns Hopkins showed that Medicare patients who were treated by clinicians who were later banned from the program for fraud were as much as 17% more likely to die prematurely than patients treated by non-banned clinicians. In 2013, fraud and abuse contributed to 6,700 premature deaths, the researchers concluded. ​
​CEJC is working with CHA-SMP to prevent scams and financial abuse and to achieve equity in access to services and benefits.  

Preventing Scams and Financial Abuse

Equity in Access to Services

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​CEJC is working with CHA-SMP to help Medicare beneficiaries access health benefits and resources, avoid and report fraud, and exercise their rights as consumers by: 
  • Instructing financial institutions in how to detect and respond to Medicare and other forms of fraud. 
  • Raising awareness among crime victim advocates about how to help victims report to authorities and mitigate the impact of fraud.
  • Conduct forums on Medicare fraud schemes, how beneficiaries and others are affected, and innovative approaches to combatting fraud and mitigating the impact.

Resources for Preventing Scams & Financial Abuse

Sadly, criminals are taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud and exploit older and vulnerable adults. The following resources provide comprehensive, up-to-date information to combat this insidious form of crime.

COVID-19 Fraud. SMP's website describes what consumers can do to prevent COVID-19 related fraud and Medicare-covered services related to the virus. 

Baker Fraud Report. The Baker Fraud Report focuses on mass marketing fraud – where victims never meet the fraudster in person but communicate over the phone, though the mail, or on the internet.

Avoid Coronavirus Scams: What You Need to Know. This comprehensive guide to Coronavirus themed scams produced by the pro-consumer website Comparite. It displays things to look out for and ways people can protect themselves. 

Just as elders of color and the poor are at heightened risk for infection and death, they are also being targeted for fraud. The following culturally specific, in-language resources were designed to improve access to help and information: 
  • The Institute on Aging COVID-19 Related Scams FAQs is available in multiple languages
  • The Diverse Elders Coalition produces culturally competent, in-language COVID-19 Resources 
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Together, CEJC and CHA-SMP are improving access to services and benefits by underserved communities by:  
  • Providing information to underserved groups, including immigrants, the formerly incarcerated, elders experiencing homelessness, low-income older adults, and those with limited English proficiency about their eligibility for benefits via the ethnic media, neighborhood senior health fairs, and social media.​
  • Facilitating the exchange of resources and information among the elder justice, SMP, and HICAP networks.

Resources for Achieving Equity

National Center for Equitable Care for Elders (NCECE)
This program of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine was created to improve the health and wellbeing of older adults by increasing the number of older adult patients effectively served by health centers, decreasing the percentage of older adult patients with uncontrolled type II diabetes, and increasing the number of health centers providing services or engaged in partnerships that address social determinants of health, such as housing security, level of education, employment, access to transportation, and food security.

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Addressing Undocumented Immigrants' Health Care Needs Through Safety Net Systems in California 
This February 21, 2018 seminar presents data from a California Health Interview Survey and stakeholder interviews that were conducted by Paul Dourgnon, Faculty Associate at the UCLA Center of Health Policy Research. It explores how well immigrants are served by California’s safety net and the health outcomes are for immigrants who are able to access services.  

​
Senior Bleak Streets Series
In this two-part English/Spanish series in La Opinión, reporter Agustin Durán describes challenges faced by the near-poor and undocumented Latino seniors in accessing health care. 
American Workers’ Health Challenges Before Reaching the Golden Age
Part 1 of the series (March 25, 2020) focuses on the "near poor," people who do not qualify for Medicaid (MediCal in California),” yet cannot afford in accessing health care. The story cites USC gerontologist María Aranda, who explains that "many decide to go to Tijuana for medical treatment, take home remedies, and delay visits to the doctor hoping that the pain will go away on its own, but it only gets worse.’” Also cited is a 2019 study by the American Cancer Society in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, which found that 137.1 million Americans have faced financial hardship during the past year because of medical costs. 
 
Undocumented Latino Seniors Struggle Without Pensions Health Insurance
Part 2 describes how many people without documents wait until the last minute see a doctor and others trust their faith not to get sick.The article describes what life is like for 84-year old Estela Garcia, an undocumented immigrant, during the pandemic when self-care and a positive outlook are what keeps her going.

 

 ​
Blog: Elder Justice Viewpoints​

Lisa Nerenberg: COVID, Elder Justice, and Advance Directives
​
​Elizabeth Podnieks: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: Hope Springs Eternal 


Lisa Nerenberg: Health Justice and Public Health in the Age of Covid-19

​Lisa Nerenberg: An Ecological Model of Elder Justice

Charles Sabatino:  Calling for a U.N. Convention on the Rights of Older People

John Dussich on Restorative Justice and Elder Abuse: A Promising Match? 

​Georgia Anetzberger on How Not to Be a Victim: Remembering Jenny

​More blog posts here. 
​Elder Justice Toolkit Pages by Topic:


Adult Protective Services

Internat'l Elder Justice Policy & Practice

Skilled Nursing Facilities  

Opioids and Older Adults 

Undue Influence

Raising Awareness

Elder Homelessness

Financial Crime 

​Looking for information on other topics?

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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Core Values
    • Accomplishments
    • Our Team
    • Our Supporters
    • Contact Us
  • Policy
    • California >
      • Covid 19 Updates
      • CEJC and the Master Plan on Aging
      • Key California Agencies
      • Laws Taking Effect in 2020
      • Innovations and Resources
    • Federal Policy >
      • Key Statutes/ Programs >
        • Elder Justice Act
        • Victims of Crime Act
        • Social Services Block Grant
        • Older Americans Act
      • National Innovations
  • Learn
    • National Advocates Academy
    • Toolkit by Topic (Nat'l) >
      • Adult Protective Services
      • Elder Homelessness
      • Financial Crime
      • International
      • Opioid Crisis
      • Raising Awareness
      • Skilled Nursing Facilities
      • Undue Influence
    • Webinars and Events
    • CEJC Publications
    • News & Updates- Nov/Dec 2020
    • Awareness Snapshots
    • Blog: Elder Justice Viewpoints
  • Join Us
    • Renew
    • Donate