The SMP director highlighted the significant role of SMPs to educate Medicare beneficiaries on how to prevent, detect, and report Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse. Moore also raised the alarm about the critical threats facing older adults, discussing common scams encountered by her program, such as those involving orthotic braces, urinary catheters, genetic testing scams, and deceptive phone or email communications. Read a story on Morningstar.

Stephanie Collins, who operated Stephanie’s Down Home Pharmacy, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for her role in a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid by billing for medications that she never dispensed to her customers. The court also ordered Collins to pay over $730,000 in restitution. A plea agreement said that Collins used the pharmacy’s computer system to submit claims for payment for prescription drugs that patients never picked up or otherwise received. Collins also submitted fraudulent claims for diabetic test strips. Click here to read more.

Mohamad Mokbel, who led 4M Pharmaceuticals, was convicted for heading a massive Medicare fraud scheme involving the fraudulent billing of expensive topical creams. He illegally purchased the information of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries, including their identification number and personal health and physician information. His employees would fax prefilled prescription requests to the patients’ doctors appearing to be for diabetic testing supplies with topical creams added at the bottom. Click here to read more.

Medicare footed the bill for more than $1 billion in fraudulent claims for neck, back, and other braces sold through phone calls from telemarketers and obtained without consultation from a doctor, a government watchdog says. Those on Medicare who were scammed may be putting their health at risk if they use equipment a doctor didn’t prescribe. They also are at risk of getting the wrong device and making their pain worse. Click here to read more.

In an update to an April 11, 2024, story, Dr. Linh Cao Nguyen was sentenced to two years in prison and was required to pay over $2.5 million to the government. Nguyen knowingly caused the submission of thousands of false billing claims and falsely created patient records to conceal and avoid detection of his fraudulent scheme. Click here to read more.