California Health Advocates

08/22/2025

Do you help a loved one with their health care needs? If you do, you can help them by reviewing their Medicare statements to see if they are being charged for things like diabetic tests, genetic tests, urinary catheters, and back braces.

If you see something that you know your loved one doesn't need, use, or even have, report it to the ! Call our California SMP at 1-855-613-7080.

08/21/2025

Join our upcoming FREE webinar: Social Security and Medicare - Accessing your Benefits -- on Thursday 8/28 at 10am PT

Also, learn the requirements for identity verification in order to avoid fraudulent claims.

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-lzKTrdGRqiKw6Mg9pesrg #/registration

08/20/2025

Many older adults have no retirement savings or worry they won't be able to support themselves when passed their working years. If you feel this way or know people who do, NPR wants to hear these stories.

Many adults over age 50 either have no retirement savings or worry they won't be able to support themselves during their post-working years. If that's you, NPR wants to hear your story.

08/19/2025

According to the recently released 2024 Performance Data for the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Projects, 54 SMP projects had 5,643 active team members conducting 22,752 outreach and education events and 283,724 individual interactions with or on behalf of beneficiaries.

AND...SMP efforts led to $35.1 million in expected Medicare recoveries, $99,037 in cost avoidance for Medicare, , and others – and $6,071 in direct savings for beneficiaries.

This is all Good News! 😁✨🥳
Read the full report: https://smpresource.org/what-smps-do/oig-report/.

08/18/2025

Learn about California’s final 2025–26 budget and the wins and setbacks for older adults and immigrants...

Governor Newsom signed California’s 2025–26 state budget last week, closing a $12–15 billion deficit with a mix of spending cuts, delays, and policy changes

08/15/2025

Social Security is 90 Years Strong! Let's celebrate, protect and strengthen this program that ensures financial security and aging in dignity for older Americans.

08/14/2025

If you missed it, 🌻 see our August Newsletter 🌻 - It includes taking a pause to honor Medicare and Medicaid's 60th anniversary while also looking at the harmful cuts in the passed Budget Reconciliation bill H.R. 1, reviewing the CA budget and its affects on older adults and immigrants, and sharing info about SMPs new app 📲 - SMP Medicare Tracker and how you can fight fraud by phone and more.

https://mailchi.mp/cahealthadvocates/honoring-medicares-60th-anniversary-current-challenges-a-call-to-protect-our-healthcare?e=[UNIQID]

08/13/2025

📢📢 😁🦄🌟

Small amount of justice here! 🥳 Read below - excerpt from a recent Federal Trade Commission press release....

📢 Health insurance brokers to pay $145M to settle deceptive practice allegations

Two health insurance brokers agreed to pay a combined $145 million to resolve allegations from the Federal Trade Commission that they misled millions of consumers seeking to buy comprehensive health insurance.

Assurance IQ will pay $100 million to settle allegations that it used telemarketing to mislead consumers into purchasing short-term medical and limited-benefit plans bundled with add-ons, according to an Aug. 7 FTC news release. The company was also accused of unfairly charging consumers without first getting their express informed consent.

MediaAlpha will pay $45 million to settle allegations it used advertisements and websites claiming to provide health insurance quotes to collect information from consumers looking for insurance so the data could be sold to telemarketers. In 2024, the company sold approximately 119 million leads about consumers, according to the release. The company attracted consumers to its lead-generation websites using misleading domains like “ObamacarePlans.com.” It also hired actors and celebrities to promote a nonexistent government “Health Insurance Give Back Program” to drive consumer traffic to its websites.

The $145 million involved in the settlements will be used to provide refunds to affected consumers, according to the release.

See FTC Press Release: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/08/assurance-iq-mediaalpha-pay-total-145-million-settle-ftc-charges-they-misled-consumers-seeking

08/07/2025

Honoring Medicare's 60th Anniversary – Current Challenges & a Call to Protect Our Healthcare

Plus, How CA's 2025-26 Budget Affects Older Adults, Upcoming Shredding Event, Fighting Fraud by Phone, Volunteer Highlight & More in our August NL

-https://mailchi.mp/cahealthadvocates/honoring-medicares-60th-anniversary-current-challenges-a-call-to-protect-our-healthcare

08/07/2025

We've moved and we’re excited to invite you to our ribbon cutting ceremony and community shredding event at our new location. 🎗✂🥳🤩 Come meet our team, tour the space, learn about Medicare fraud, enjoy some yummy food and safely dispose of your sensitive documents.

Event is on Monday, September 8th 12-6pm in Roseville, CA. See our flyer for details!

08/06/2025

Attorney General Bonta unveils a public education campaign on Hospice Fraud. This type of fraud continues to be one of the top Medicare fraud schemes reported to our California SMP. Watch now live!

California Attorney General Rob Bonta holds a press conference in Los Angeles to announce a public awareness campaign to protect Californians and prevent abu...

08/05/2025

One of our awesome California Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) volunteers, Joycelyn Preston, was recently highlighted by our national SMP team for her help in reporting and resolving a genetic testing scam case. Joycelyn is the HICAP Program Manager for Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties and one of her clients, Linda, submitted this testimonial to express her gratitude for the service she received.

“HICAP/SMP has assisted me with reporting genetic testing fraud, claim appeals, and general Medicare information. See I have both Medicare and Medi-Cal and if it wasn't for me seeking assistance from HICAP to understand my MSN, I would have never known that my Medicare card was compromised and Medicare and Medi-Cal were paying combined over $9,000 a month on genetic testing items and services that were never rendered. HICAP/SMP was able to order me a new Medicare card and report this scam to Medicare.” - Linda

Great job, Joycelyn! We are so happy to hear how the SMP has helped folks.

Do you have a testimonial you would like to share of how California SMP has helped you? Submit it here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MFPWtestimonia

If you'd like to help people in your community detect and report Medicare fraud, join our team! Learn more about becoming a volunteer here: https://casmpvolunteer.org