There are awareness days/weeks/months for almost any cause you can think of: all types of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Older Americans month, National Senior Health and Fitness Day, and the list goes on and on. For the month of June, the Senior Medicare Patrol would like to highlight two different awareness focuses: Medicare Fraud Prevention Week and World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

The week of June 5^th will mark the 2^nd annual Medicare Fraud Prevention Week. The observance begins on June 5 or 6-5, because most people become eligible for Medicare when they turn 65 years old. The reason that there is an observance like this is because fraud costs Medicare an estimated $60 billion per year. Follow along with us on our Wisconsin Senior Medicare Patrol Facebook page for more information about Medicare Fraud Prevention Week.

If you are wondering what you can do to help fight Medicare-related fraud and scams, here are some suggestions:

• Take the time to review your Medicare Summary Notices for accuracy. This is our #1 fraud fighting tool. More information about how to Read Your Medicare Statements is available to help you.
• Share information about protecting yourself from Medicare-related fraud with a friend or neighbor.
• Be extra careful when answering the telephone, as scammers use this technology to try and get personal information from us. Remember, never share personal information with someone who calls you out of the blue…they are likely up to no good!
• If you are part of a group or organization, consider scheduling a Senior Medicare Patrol presentation. You can do that here.
• Consider joining our team as a volunteer! We are looking for people who are interested in helping us share the Senior Medicare Patrol message across the state of Wisconsin. To learn more about our volunteer opportunities, click here.

If you think you have been targeted by a Medicare-related scam, please call our toll-free Helpline at (888) 818-2611 for assistance.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is recognized on June 15^th. WEAAD was launched in 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations. The purposed of this day to raise awareness in communities across the world about elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. For more information, visit the  National Center on Elder Abuse.

The Wisconsin Elder Abuse Hotline Program is available for community members and victims to contact for assistance in obtaining needed resources and making referrals to local authorities. You can either call the toll-free helpline at 1-833-586-0107 or submit an online report.