Purposely billing Medicare for services that were never provided or received is considered Medicare fraud. For example, your Medicare number can be used to bill Medicare for services and supplies you didn't need or want, services and supplies your doctor did not order, services and supplies you can't even use, and services and supplies you did not receive. There are also certain marketing practices that are considered Medicare fraud.

Where do we see Medicare fraud?

• In billing for institutional facilities (Medicare Part A), such as nursing homes, residential facilities, hospitals, and hospices.
• In billing for physician services or visits to physicians (Medicare Part B).
• In billing for Durable Medical Equipment (DME), such as wheelchairs, body jackets, incontinence supplies, etc.
• In improper marketing through telephone, door-to-door sales and flyers (Medicare Part C - Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit).

The California Department of Aging (CDA) in cooperation with the Administration on Aging (AoA) is dedicated to promoting consumer awareness, preventing elder victimization, and working to implement community partnerships to prevent Medicare and Medicaid fraud, error, and abuse. By informing and training senior volunteers, aging network personnel, and health care providers, AoA wants to make older Americans and their advocates better health care consumers.

CDA encourages you to visit the web sites listed below for various programs designed to help citizens inform and protect themselves from fraud.