FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2023
For more information, contact: Karen Joy Fletcher, Communications Director, 206-713-5147, kfletcher@cahealthadvocates.org
California SMP Launches New Website Offering a Plethora of Fraud Prevention Services & Materials
Sacramento, CA — California Health Advocates (CHA), the grantee of California’s federally funded Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program, has launched a new website this week, CaliforniaSMP.org This new website provides easy access to a variety of fraud prevention services and materials for seniors, people with disabilities, their families, caregivers and professionals across the state.
“If you’re interested in Medicare fraud prevention, think you have been scammed, are looking to book a free presentation or webinar, want to order materials or learn about current fraud trends, we’ve got it all at our new website,” said Catherina Isidro, California Health Advocates Executive Director and SMP Project Director. “Come visit us online.”
Based on feedback received from CHA’s SMP volunteers, partners and served beneficiaries over the past couple years, this website glows with friendliness and easy-to-navigate information and materials. Its refreshed look contains the new national SMP logo and vibrant colors.
“It’s our aim that accessing our fraud alerts, booking presentations, ordering free materials, reading up on recent fraud and scams and contacting us is all the easier and more enjoyable with our new website,” said Christina Dimas-Kahn, Deputy Executive Director and SMP Program Manager. “Also, if you feel inspired to become an SMP volunteer after visiting our site, we are recruiting and would love to have you join our team.”
May 15th is also National Senior Fraud Awareness Day and Medicare Fraud Prevention Week coming up June 5-11, so the launch of this new web resource is a great tool for educating and empowering beneficiaries, families, caregivers and professionals in Medicare fraud prevention.
The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program, first established in 1997 by federal law, empowers Medicare beneficiaries, and their families, and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report health care fraud, errors, and abuse. SMP projects nationwide provide local outreach, education, and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries through a trained volunteer workforce. California’s SMP, with volunteers across the state, conducts outreach campaigns, organizes and participates in community events, teaches Medicare beneficiaries to protect their Medicare numbers, shows their peers how to detect billing discrepancies on their Medicare statements, and to how report suspicious activity for further investigation.
Contact California Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-855-613-7080 and visit our new website at www.CaliforniaSMP.org
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California Health Advocates is an independent non-profit organization that provides accurate and timely Medicare and related health care coverage information, education, and policy advocacy. CHA is the grantee of the California Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) project, funded by the Administration for Community Living (ACL). California SMP, and all SMPs around the country, empower and assist people with Medicare and Medicaid to avoid, detect, and report healthcare fraud. CHA also provides community organizations and government agencies with up-to-date information, and in particular to the 24 local HICAPs that provide individual benefits counseling and community education directly to Medicare beneficiaries and their families. For more information, visit its website at cahealthadvocates.org.
