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Medicare scam alert: Scammers bill for unneeded urinary catheters

Medicare beneficiaries across the country are finding charges worth thousands of dollars on their Medicare statements related to urinary catheters they didn’t need or receive.

Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) programs nationwide started receiving complaints of urinary catheter claims in May 2023. They saw a handful of complaints per month until August 2023, when the number of complaints jumped 750%. Through the end of the year, SMPs continued to receive a staggering number of complaints, with the highest amount received in December 2023 to date.

We recommend you regularly check your Medicare statements to make sure Medicare wasn't billed for items or services you never requested or received. To learn how to read Medicare statements or get help with a compromised Medicare number, contact the Washington state SMP. 

SHIBA is Washington state's SMP (www.smpresource.org) project. We can help clients prevent, detect and report Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse. If you have questions or suspect fraud or abuse, call 800-562-6900 and ask to speak with SHIBA.