The Florida Department of Elder Affairs’ SHINE program has issued guidance to the state’s more than 5.5 million seniors on how to protect themselves against Medicare fraud as the state responds to COVID-19.

“Medicare provides some easy-to-use and preventive measures you or your loved ones may wish to use to help avoid identity theft and other potential scams as our state responds to COVID-19,” said FDOEA Secretary Richard Prudom.
SHINE – Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders – is encouraging seniors to keep this list in mind to prevent Medicare fraud:

Protect your Medicare number and treat your Medicare card like it’s a credit card.
Don’t give your Medicare card or Medicare number to anyone except your doctor or people you know should have it.
Review your Medicare claims for errors and problems, including things like fake charges, double billing or other fraudulent activity, waste or abuse.
Visit medicare.gov/fraud to learn more about how you can protect yourself from Medicare fraud.

Prudom said Medicare is responsible for developing and enforcing the essential health and safety requirements that healthcare providers must meet. He said the following additional steps have been taken in response to the Coronavirus:

Establishing new codes to allow providers to correctly bill for services related to diagnosis and treatment of the illness.
Instructing the national network of State Survey Agencies and accrediting organizations to focus all their efforts on infection prevention and other cases of abuse and neglect in nursing homes and hospitals.
Instructing nursing homes and hospitals to review their infection control procedures, which they’re required to maintain at all times.
Issuing important guidance answering questions that nursing homes may have with respect to addressing cases of COVID-19.

Prudom said those who think they may have spotted Medicare fraud should report it right away. No matter how minimal the information might be, he said, it could be the missing piece to stopping the next fraud scheme.

Prudom added that those who are victims of fraud won’t be penalized or lose their coverage for reporting it. Even those who aren’t victims are encouraged to report any Medicare-related fraud scams they encounter, he said.

To report suspected Medicare fraud, call 1-800-96-ELDER or visit www.floridashine.org and click on the “Contact Us” tab at the top of the page.
Seniors also are encouraged to visit to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ dedicated COVID-19 webpage by clicking HERE.