U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America	Frequent Questions Search

Font Size     Print     Download Reader

This is an archive page. The links are no longer being updated.

"These projects are helping older Americans better understand their Medicare and Medicaid billing statements, so that they can take appropriate steps to correct errors," Secretary Thompson said. "Through these kinds of programs, beneficiaries can become better health care consumers and play an important role in helping the Medicare and Medicaid programs avoid payment errors."

State and local organizations receive these grants from HHS' Administration on Aging (AoA) to help older Americans identify and prevent potential both unintended billing errors and potentially deliberate abuses.

The Senior Medicare Patrol projects teach volunteer retired professionals, such as doctors, nurses, accountants, investigators, law enforcement personnel, attorneys and teachers, to help Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to be better health care consumers. Since 1997, these projects and other AoA grants have trained more than 48,000 volunteers and conducted more than 60,000 community education events reaching nearly 10 million people.

"The contributions made by thousands of extraordinary volunteers who serve as peer educators in communities across the United States have made this program a success,"Assistant Secretary for Aging Josefina G. Carbonell said. "Their personal time and commitment is helping us to protect the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs."

The new Senior Medicare Patrol Project grants and the amount of each award are as follows:

Alabama Department of Senior Services, Montgomery, Alabama -- $160,000
Alaska Department of Administration, Juneau, Alaska -- $149,482
Arizona Department of Economic Security, Phoenix, Arizona -- $159,930
Arkansas Department of Human Services, Little Rock, Arkansas -- $160,000
Colorado Division of Insurance, Denver, Colorado -- $189,279
Connecticut Department of Social Services, Hartford, Connecticut -- $160,000
Friendship House Association, Inc., Washington, D.C. -- $159,970
Legal Counsel for the Elderly, Washington, D.C. -- $160,000
National Hispanic Council on Aging, Washington, D.C. (and southern Texas) -- $191,497
Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, New Castle, Delaware -- $160,000
Florida Department of Elder Affairs, Tallahassee, Florida -- $160,000
Atlanta Regional Commission, Atlanta, Georgia -- $160,000
Georgia Department of Human Resources, Atlanta, Georgia -- $160,000
Idaho Commission on Aging, Boise, Idaho -- $160,000
Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley Inc., Lawrence, Massachusetts -- $176,152
Maine Department of Human Services, Augusta, Maine -- $160,000
Area Agencies on Aging Association of Lansing, Michigan -- $160,000
Missoula Area Agency on Aging, Missoula, Montana -- $200,000
Nevada Office of the Attorney General, Las Vegas, Nevada -- $160,000
New Mexico State Agency on Aging, Santa Fe, New Mexico -- $200,000
Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging, Columbus, Ohio -- $123,128
Pro-Seniors, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio -- $124,863
Oklahoma Insurance Department, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma -- $160,000
Seniors and People with Disabilities, Salem, Oregon -- $160,000
Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs, Santurce, Puerto Rico -- $160,000
Better Business Bureau Education Foundation, Houston, Texas -- $101,165
Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Richmond, Virginia -- $160,000
Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, Olympia, Washington -- $160,000

The states where continuation grants have been awarded are California, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

To help beneficiaries and others report suspected fraud, the HHS Office of the Inspector General maintains a toll-free hotline, 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477). For more information about the Administration on Aging's Senior Medicare Patrol grants, seewww.aoa.gov/smp.

###

HHS Home | Questions? | Contacting HHS | Accessibility | Privacy Policy | FOIA | Disclaimers | The White House | USA.gov | Helping America's Youth

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services - 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. - Washington, D.C. 20201