Senior Medicare Patrol saves $6M
By HME News Staff
Updated Mon July 22, 2013
WASHINGTON - The Office of Inspector General's (OIG's) Senior Medicare Patrol project was responsible for recovering $6 million in funds in 2012, according to a new report. The project was also responsible for $133,977 in savings to Medicare beneficiaries, up from $13,657 in 2011. Additionally, the project provided information to federal prosecutors for a case that eventually resulted in a $12.9 million settlement. The project recruits and trains retired professionals and other senior citizens to recognize and report instances or patterns of healthcare fraud. In 2012, there were 5,137 active volunteers, a 9% decrease from 2011. These volunteers conducted 113,457 one-on-one counseling sessions and 14,748 group education sessions, a 71% and 33% increase, respectively, from 2011.
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