Senior Listening

For many Montanans, Medicare is an essential part of staying healthy and financially secure. What many people don’t realize is that one of the best ways to protect themselves from Medicare fraud, errors, and identity theft is to regularly review their Medicare Summary Notices or Explanation of Benefi ts.

Why Checking Your Medicare Statements Matters Your Medicare Summary Notice (for Original Medicare) or Explanation of Benefits (for Medicare Advantage and other private plans) is a record of the medical services and supplies billed in your name. These statements are not bills, but they show what services were provided, what Medicare was charged, and what Medicare paid.

Reviewing these statements can help you:

• Identify billing mistakes.

• Spot services you never received.

• Detect possible Medicare fraud or identity theft.

• Protect both your healthcare records and taxpayer dollars.

When looking at your statements, ask yourself:

• Did I actually receive the service listed?

• Did I visit that doctor or facility?

• Were the dates of service correct?

• Was equipment or a medical supply billed that I never received?

If something doesn’t look right, don’t ignore it. Even small errors can indicate larger problems. Don’t Wait for the Mail – Check Claims Online Many Medicare beneficiaries wait months for paper notices to arrive in the mail. However, creating a secure account at Medicare. gov allows you to review claims much sooner.

With a Medicare.gov account, you can:

• View Medicare claims shortly after they are processed.

• Track your Medicare services online.

• Print a replacement Medicare card.

• Manage Medicare information securely.

• Choose electronic Medicare Summary Notices instead of waiting for paper copies.

To create an account, visit www.Medicare.gov and select Create an Account. You’ll need your Medicare number and information from your Medicare card.

Checking your claims online is one of the fastest ways to catch mistakes or suspicious activity before it becomes a larger issue.

What to Do If You Suspect Fraud If you notice charges for services you didn’t receive, or if someone asks for your Medicare number in a suspicious call, email, or text message, take action immediately.

First, contact your healthcare provider to see if the issue was simply a billing error. If concerns remain, seek assistance from the Montana Senior Medicare Patrol.

Montana Senior Medicare Patrol Is Here to Help The Montana Senior Medicare Patrol helps Medicare beneficiaries, families, and caregivers prevent, detect, and report Medicare fraud, waste, and abuse. The program also helps people understand their Medicare Summary Notices and identify potential billing mistakes.

Montana SMP can:

• Help you understand your Medicare statements.

• Review potential billing errors.

• Assist with identifying possible fraud.

• Connect you with the appropriate agencies for investigation when necessary.

• Provide education on protecting yourself from scams.

Montana Senior Medicare Patrol Phone: 1-800-551-3191 (statewide).