The Missouri Senior Medicare Patrol is seeking volunteers in the northwest Missouri area to help seniors protect their Medicare benefits. The SMP needs more volunteers for its team.
The statewide SMP has a mission to empower and assist Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report healthcare fraud, errors, and abuse through outreach, counseling, and education. Key to the program’s success is a network of volunteers, who staff outreach events and conduct presentations in senior centers and other venues.
The primary focus of a Senior Medicare Patrol team member is to educate Medicare beneficiaries through one-on-one discussions, distributing literature, attending senior fairs, or by making presentations at appropriate locations. Volunteers undergo a comprehensive training course and receive extensive support from SMP Team Coordinator Samantha Schnell and Missouri SMP Director Rona McNally.
The next training is scheduled for October 1st and 2nd in Cameron at the Area Agency on Aging Office located in the Bank Midwest building at 1304 North Walnut. Call the SMP 888-515-6565 to fill out an application and to register for the October training in Cameron.
The Missouri SMP is part of a nationwide network funded by the Administration for Community Living to reduce Medicare and Medicaid fraud, which is estimated to cost the taxpayers billions of dollars annually. For more information about volunteering, or to report suspected Medicare fraud or abuse, call 888-515-6565.
