On Monday, October 24, 2011, U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz will host “Playing it Safe: A Workshop on Medicare Fraud Prevention” at the Klein Branch Jewish Community Center in Philadelphia.

Schwartz will join representatives from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice, and the U.S. Administration on Aging to provide seniors and their loved ones with more information about protecting their medical information and history, keeping track of their statements and bills, detecting common fraud schemes, and reporting fraud and abuse. This workshop is free and is open to the general public. RSVPs are appreciated, but are not required.

Medicare’s open enrollment period, which runs from October 15 to December 7, can actually be a target time for scammers to take advantage of seniors who are seeking information and making changes to their benefits. Fraud costs Medicare billions of dollars each year and can result in higher Medicare premiums, deductibles and copayments for seniors. Losses due to fraud may also prevent Medicare from offering more services and better coverage in the future.

Arming seniors with this knowledge creates a more educated population that is empowered to protect themselves against scams and fraud.

Representatives from these agencies will also provide seniors with information about what the federal government is doing to assure their safety, preserve the Medicare Trust Fund, and defend against wasteful and fraudulent spending.

In addition, representatives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), APPRISE, and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) will be available to address questions and concerns regarding Medicare’s new open enrollment period and free preventive care services.

For more information please contact Schwartz’s Philadelphia Office at 215-335-3355 or email Karen Gurmankin at karen.gurmankin@mail.house.gov.

WHO:             U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz

                        Joanne Grossi, Regional Director, HHS Region III

                        Jay Angoff, Senior Advisor to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

                        Roseanne Egan, Acting Regional Administrator, CMS Region III

                        Jennifer Carmody, Coordinator of SEPA Senior Medicare Patrol

WHEN:           Monday October 24, 2011

                        9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

WHERE:         Klein Branch Jewish Community Center

10100 Jamison Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19116

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