CEJC works in partnership with the California Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) to spread the word about how Medicare fraud harms beneficiaries, their caregivers, and the public.
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.
Under the partnership, CEJC works with SMP to help Medicare beneficiaries access health benefits and resources, avoid and report fraud, and exercise their rights as consumers through the following:
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.
Under the partnership, CEJC works with SMP to help Medicare beneficiaries access health benefits and resources, avoid and report fraud, and exercise their rights as consumers through the following:
- Raise awareness by financial institutions about Medicare fraud, including how to detect and respond.
- Raise awareness among crime victim advocates about Medicare fraud, including how to help victims report to authorities and mitigate the impact.
- Conduct a national webinar on current Medicare fraud schemes, how beneficiaries and others are affected, and innovative approaches to combatting fraud and mitigating the impact.
- Explore underserved groups’ eligibility for health benefits, including immigrants and migrants, the formerly incarcerated, elders experiencing homelessness, low-income older adults, and those with limited English proficiency.
- Promote the exchange of resources and information among the elder justice, SMP, and HICAP networks
- Explore ongoing opportunities for reaching underserved groups, including the ethnic media, neighborhood senior health fairs, social media etc.
|
|
Resources
COVID-19 Related Resources |
|
Sadly, criminals are taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud and exploit older and vulnerable adults.
COVID-19 Fraud. The Senior Medicare Patrol website describes what consumers can do to prevent COVID-19 related fraud and what services related to the virus are covered by Medicare. 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:
|
Other Resources |
|
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. 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 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. |
Reports
Senior Bleak Streets Series
|
|
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. |