Billions of federal dollars are lost annually due to healthcare fraud, errors, and abuse. The Administration for Community Living (ACL) Office of Healthcare Information & Counseling manages the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) grants. The SMP mission is to empower and assist Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers, to prevent, detect, and report suspected healthcare fraud, errors, and abuse through outreach, counseling, and education. SMPs work to resolve beneficiary complaints of potential healthcare fraud in collaboration with state and federal partners, including the U. S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of the Inspector General, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, state Medicaid fraud control units, and state attorneys general.

SMPs recruit and train retired professionals and other volunteers to recognize and report instances or patterns of healthcare fraud. These activities support ACL’s goals of promoting increased choice and greater independence among older adults and individuals with disabilities. SMP activities also serve to enhance the financial, emotional, physical, and mental well-being of older adults, thereby increasing their capacity to maintain security in retirement and make better financial and health care choices.

SMP team members are trained to:

• Promote community awareness of healthcare fraud, errors, and abuse;
• Disseminate consumer education materials about Medicare fraud through presentations, health fairs, and other community events;
• Provide counseling, and when needed, serve as consumer advocates to resolve billing disputes/issues; and
• Make appropriate referrals to state and federal partners for suspected cases of Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse for further investigation.

The SMP program offers volunteers an opportunity to make an important difference in their communities. Volunteers take pride in working to ensure that the Medicare program will be protected for future generations.

The SMP Resource Center website provides helpful materials for beneficiaries, SMP team members, and program partners; current fraud information; and the SMP Locator, which helps people find their local SMP program.