Note from NHCOA: The more informed you and your loved ones are regarding your health, the less likely you are to become a victim of health care fraud. Through the National Hispanic SMP (NHSMP), NHCOA reaches Hispanic older adults, families, and caregivers to protect, detect, and report Medicare fraud in a culturally, linguistically, and age appropriate manner.

Recently, the Obama Administration released an infographic describing how the Affordable Care Act, the new health care law, is helping crack down on Medicare fraud and strengthen the Medicare system.

This infographic shows steps the Administration has taken to fight Medicare fraud, including the $4.1 billion in taxpayer dollars, which were recovered in 2011. In fact, since 2010 almost $11 billion have been recuperated thanks to the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program.

A joint collaboration between the Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) called the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) has also been helping with the crackdown Medicare fraud. The number of individuals charged with fraud increased from 797 in fiscal year 2008 to 1,430 in fiscal year 2011, an increase of more than 75%.

The efforts of the state Senior Medicare Patrols (SMPs), which includes the National Hispanic SMP (NHSMP), are also part of the massive effort crack down on Medicare waste, fraud, and abuse. The NHSMP, like the state SMPs, depends on the help of community leaders to help protect, detect, and report Medicare fraud within their communities. These leaders empower and inform seniors about Medicare fraud and teach them how to fight it.

To learn more about the NHSMP, visit www.nhcoa.org/medicare. To join our efforts, call 1-866-488-7379. Your community, especially our older adults, needs your leadership!

NHCOA is a proud partner of the Administration on Aging in the fight against Medicare fraud. The National Hispanic SMP works to detect, protect, and report Medicare fraud within the Hispanic community. For more information, visit www.nhcoa.org/medicare.