Governor Kaine and Attorney General McDonnell Announce Fraud Prevention Toolkits
Press Release
Governor Kaine and Attorney General McDonnell Announce Fraud Prevention Toolkits
Governor Timothy M. Kaine and Attorney General Bob McDonnell announced their support today for the distribution of 80,000 Medicare Protection booklets to older adults and caregivers throughout the Commonwealth. The toolkits are a joint effort of the Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging Senior Medicare Patrol Program (SMP), the Virginia Department for the Aging and Virginia Bureau of Insurance with support by Virginia TRIAD, SeniorNavigator and AARP Virginia.
"I commend the SMP Program and the 25 local Area Agencies on Aging throughout Virginia for their efforts to develop, disseminate and promote this valuable booklet to help Virginians make wise healthcare decisions and protect themselves from Medicare and healthcare fraud," Governor Kaine said. "Volunteers and staff throughout Virginia that assist with SMP community education activities and Virginia Insurance Counseling Assistance Program activities provide a crucial role in educating older Virginians about Medicare and health insurance plans and the prevention of healthcare fraud."
Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell expressed support for the toolkits. "These toolkits will teach Virginia senior citizens how to detect and report suspicious activities related to their health care, and empower them to protect themselves by preventing fraud," McDonnell said.
The Office of the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and TRIAD Partnerships provide on-going support to seniors and caregivers. TRIAD is a crime-fighting partnership between law enforcement, seniors and service providers. In Virginia, there are 90 TRIADs which encompass 226 cities, counties and towns. TRIAD provides education about various types of frauds and scams and resources at all levels of government. The Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigates allegations of fraud by medical providers receiving payment from the Virginia Medicaid Program.
Each Be Smart Virginians! Know Your Medicare Rights - Detect and Report Healthcare Fraud contains:
* Questions for beneficiaries or family members to ask salespeople
* Facts on healthcare benefits options
* Things to look out for when considering a healthcare plan
* Four steps to safeguard their Medicare
* A contact list of helpful Virginia health and consumer agencies
The toolkits were made possible in part by a grant from the Administration on Aging, Department of Health and Human Services. Nationally, there are 59 SMP programs funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Administration on Aging. Toolkits are being distributed beginning November 15, when the Medicare Part D Open Enrollment begins.
Families and older adults who are interested in receiving a toolkit should contact their local Area Agency on Aging. A complete list of all local Area Agencies on Aging is available on the Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging (V4A) website at www.vaaaa.org or the Virginia Department for the Aging at www.vda.virginia.gov . For additional information, call the V4A at 1-800-938-8885 or the Virginia Department for the Aging at 1-800-552-3402.
Seniors are encouraged to call their local Area Agency on Aging VICAP Program to receive free, confidential help and assistance about a variety of healthcare matters, including Medicare, Medicaid and health insurance issues.
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