Feds give Minn. $150K to fight Medicare fraud

The federal government has given the Minnesota Board on Aging $150,000 to step up efforts to combat Medicare fraud in the state.

The Board on Aging will use the funds for its Senior Medicare Patrol program, which is primarily a volunteer group that educates seniors about how to prevent, detect and report health care fraud in their individual medicare accounts.

Minnesota Board on Aging Executive Director Jean Wood said the money is used in part to teach seniors how to search the web for key information.

"We talk to them about how to find their medicare summary notices and compare them to what their actual services are so they can see whether they're being overbilled or underbilled," she said.

Wood said the money will be distributed to the seven area agencies on aging around Minnesota. The federal funding is part of a $9 million national grant.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.