Joel Mekler - Medicare Moments: Watch out for these latest scams

Joel Mekler - Medicare Moments: Watch out for these latest scams 
New Castle News; by Joel Mekler; 6/3/24 
... Across the country, many unscrupulous hospice providers are recruiting and enrolling nonterminally ill patients for end-of-life care they do not need and then billing Medicare for services and items they may never receive. They trick beneficiaries into signing up for hospice by offering freebies, such as additional groceries, nurse visits, durable medical equipment, bus coupons, and more once they enroll. They also make false claims, such as saying “Medicare now covers cooking and cleaning services”. Or they tell beneficiaries they qualify due to age, saying “You’re now old enough to qualify for hospice!” Another tactic is giving money, with some recruiters telling beneficiaries, “You can earn $400/month if you agree to enroll in our program.” ... Tips [to consumers] to avoid hospice fraud:

• Beware of hospice companies enrolling patients who do not have a terminal illness with 6 months or less to live. Medicare’s hospice benefit is only for those who are terminally ill.
• Don’t get tricked by hospice companies offering free services such as housekeeping and cooking. Medicare does not pay for this!
• Watch out for “freebies”, such as bus coupons, medical equipment, food supplements, or even payment for enrolling into hospice. These are all scams.