Fraud Facts

August 2023 Fraud Fact

Posted: Wednesday, August 9th, 2023

August’s fraud fact from Missouri SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) deals with the unexpected knock on the door from someone trying to sell something. Older adults often are targets of door-to-door salespeople who might use unscrupulous and dishonest sales tactics to sell you something you don’t need. These folks may be trying to sell a new

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July 2023 Fraud Fact

Posted: Friday, July 7th, 2023

This month’s Missouri SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) Fraud Fact is to remind you to guard your Medicare card. The mailing of the new Medicare cards is finished, but that doesn’t mean the scammers are done trying to steal your personal information. One way that they do that is by calling your home with an offer

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June 2023 Fraud Fact

Posted: Thursday, May 25th, 2023

Beware of unsolicited ‘free’ over-the-counter COVID tests The Missouri SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) wants you to know that over-the-counter COVID-19 tests are not covered automatically by Medicare anymore. Under the recently-expired public health emergency, beneficiaries were able get over-the-counter tests with no out-of-pocket costs. Not anymore! That public health emergency ended May 11. You can

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April 2023 Fraud Fact

Posted: Thursday, March 30th, 2023

The Missouri Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) strongly advises that you be smart about sharing your Medicare number. Read easy tips and best practices for proper Medicare card management.

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March 2023 Fraud Fact

Posted: Tuesday, February 28th, 2023

If your medical identity is compromised, you run the risk of being denied essential services and items. Don’t let scammers steal your chance to get the coverage on the medical services you need!

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February 2023 Fraud Fact

Posted: Friday, January 20th, 2023

Genetic testing scams are a real problem. If Medicare denies the claim, a beneficiary might be responsible for the entire cost of the test. Unfortunately, the average cost of medically unnecessary tests ranges from $9,000 to $11,000. Your doctor must prescribe this kind of testing.

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January 2023 Fraud Fact

Posted: Wednesday, December 21st, 2022

What are the worst Medicare scam artists trying to pull in 2023? In this month’s Missouri SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) Fraud Fact, you’ll learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones from: • Medicare card scams • Genetic testing scams • Hospice fraud cases

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December 2022 Fraud Fact

Posted: Thursday, December 8th, 2022

 If you are considering a donation to a charity, the Missouri Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) warns you to be wary.  Charities use the phone, face-to-face contact, email, and the Internet. So do the scammers. Scammers can change caller ID to make a call look like it’s from a local area code. Some scammers use names

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November 2022 Fraud Fact

Posted: Tuesday, November 1st, 2022

The Missouri Senior Medicare Patrol wants to share this information from the Social Security Administration (SSA): If you receive an unexpected offer from the SSA, do NOT click on a link or respond. It’s a scam. Instead, report suspected scams to oig.ssa.gov. The SSA recently issued a fraud alert about such offers. Criminals will impersonate

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October 2022 Fraud Fact

Posted: Tuesday, September 27th, 2022

October 15  starts Medicare open enrollment; shop wisely October 15 marks the beginning of the 2022 Medicare Open Enrollment period for Advantage plans and Part D drug plans. The Missouri Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) wants to remind older adults to be smart consumers as they consider the plethora of advertising aimed at them through TV,

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SMP Team