AgeOptions Services/Programs - Senior Medicare Patrol

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Welcome to the Illinois Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Program page. Please explore our different sections:

Have you ever gotten a phone call from someone who said they were "from Medicare," but to send you a new Medicare card, they needed your Medicare number?

Have you ever seen something listed on your Medicare Summary Notice that you didn't receive?

Have you had an insurance agent sign you up for an insurance plan without your permission?

If any of these situations have happened to you, you have experienced healthcare fraud. If you suspect fraud, please remember:

1) Healthcare fraud is not your fault. Fraud occurs in every city, in every state, every day. Scam artists will do anything to gain our trust, and even the most sensible consumers can get 'scammed.'

2) You CAN do something about it – you can report it to the Illinois SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) Program!

What is the SMP Program?

The SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) Program empowers consumers to prevent healthcare fraud. Program staff and volunteers help people with Medicare and Medicaid to:

1) PROTECT themselves from Medicare & Medicaid fraud, waste, and abuse.

2) DETECT Medicare & Medicaid fraud, waste, and abuse.

3) REPORT Medicare & Medicaid fraud, waste, and abuse.

The U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) provides funding to SMP programs in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.To find an SMP program in your state, visit the National SMP Resource Center website at www.smpresource.org and use the SMP Locator tool.

AoA and the SMP Program are working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Justice to fight Medicare fraud. Visit the national Stop Medicare Fraud website to learn more about our national campaign:

http://stopmedicarefraud.gov/preventfraud/smp/index.html

The Illinois SMP Program is located at AgeOptions, the Area Agency on Aging for Suburban Cook County. AgeOptions works with several other agencies to provide information about healthcare fraud in Illinois. These agencies are: Illinois Area Agencies on Aging, Catholic Charities, Senior Services Associates, Family Services RSVP - Champaign,and the Coalition of Limited English Speaking Elderly.

For help finding your state’s SMP program, visit the National SMP Resource Center website at www.smpresource.org and use the SMP Locator tool.

More information:

Illinois SMP Materials

Volunteer with the SMP Program!

This project is supported in part by grant numbers 90MP0163 and 90SP0015 from the U.S. Administration on Aging, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration on Aging policy.