# Presentation: 778592

## 2001 REGIONAL CONFERENCES

**   **

-   **SENIOR MEDICARE  PATROL PROJECTS**

##                TOPICS 

- Overview Of Where We’ve Been

-  Growth of Projects

-  Project Accomplishments

-  National Accomplishments

-  Where Do We Go From Here?

-  Review of Mission & Mandate

-  Expand Education Efforts

-  Intention is to Continue Initiative

##         WHERE WE’VE BEEN

-   Nationwide Growth of Projects

**12**

**12**

**41**

**48**

**52**

**1997**

**1998**

**1999**

**2000**

**2001**

## GRANTEE ACCOMPLSIHMENTS

-    # Media Events Conducted -- 5,300

-    # Beneficiaries Educated by Trainers – 380,000

-    # Senior Volunteers Trained as Trainers – 17,830

##  # Complaints Referred for Follow-Up - 2,350

***   ***GRANTEE ACCOMPLISHMENTS***   ***
***                ***(Continued)

-     Contributed to Cutting the Error Rate in Half –
-       Saving Billions of Dollars

-     Documented Medicare & Medicaid Savings –
-       $51 million

##        NATIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

-   Medicare Error Rate Cut in Half Since 1996

-  FY 1996 - **14%** or $23.2 billion in Improper Payments

-  FY 2000 - **6.8%** or $11.9 Billion in Improper Payments

-  FY 2000 - More Than 1,600 Individuals/Entities
- 	Excluded Due to Fraud or Abuse

-  FY 2000 - 213 Criminal Convictions; 209 Civil Actions

##    WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

-   Overview Of Our Mission & Mandate

-  Exponential Expansion of Our Education Efforts

-  Outreach to Unserved and Underserved

-  National Resource Centers

-  Reducing Error Rate & Stopping Error, Fraud &
-     Abuse Are Important Administration Goals

## REVIEW OF MANDATE & MISSION

-   Senate Report 106-293 – FY 2001 Appropriations

- “The Committee has provided last year’s level of funding
- to continue the ‘Senior Waste Patrol’ pilot project to test
- the best ways of using the skills of retired nurses,
- doctors, accountants and other professionals to **train**
**seniors and to serve as expert resources** to detect
- and stop Medicare fraud, waste and abuse.”

##    EXPAND EDUCATION EFFORTS

-  Reach Greater Numbers Of Beneficiaries Through
-    Volunteer Education & Assistance

-  Message Out to New States and New Communities

-  Materials Appropriate for Persons With Low Health Literacy

-  Outreach to Unserved and Underserved Elders

##        REACH UNSERVED & UNDERSERVED

-     Gather Info on Successful Initiatives
-      Lay Groundwork for Replicating Practices        	Nationwide
-      Disseminate Information
- 	Provide Technical Assistance & Training

*** ******Role of National Resource Centers***

## OUTREACH TO VULNERABLE ELDERS

*        **     **National Resource Centers*

**Florida Department of Elder Affairs** -- Outreach and  Education to Minority & Non-English-Speaking Individuals.
- Project Coordinator: Ramona Brookins Yeartie

**New York State Office for the Aging**** -- **Partnership Strategies With Providers, Caregivers, & Government Agencies.
- Project Coordinator:  Patricia Hasan

**Notes:**
We’re also working to expand and replicate these best practices through the work of our National Technical Assistance Resource Centers, which were just funded this month.  You’ll learn more about their plans, and have an opportunity to have input into their initial areas of focus at the national conference.     Click mouse

The Florida Department of Elder Affairs has won a grant to provide guidance and best practice information on reaching minority and non-English-speaking individuals.     Click mouse

The Virginia Department for the Aging will provide guidance on outreach to rural and geographically isolated individuals.     Click mouse

Puerto Rico’s Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs will test some innovative strategies for reaching rural and isolated Spanish-speaking individuals and funnel that information to all of you through the Florida and Virginia resource centers.     Click mouse

And, finally, the New York State Office for the Aging will provide guidance on best practice strategies for working with providers, caregivers, and government agencies.

All of these resource centers with work with you to replicate and expand strategies and products that are working so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

## OUTREACH TO VULNERABLE ELDERS

*                **National Resource Centers*

**Virginia Department for the Aging****  --  **Outreach and Education to Rural and Geographically Isolated Individuals.
- Project Coordinator: Bretiss Zacek

**Puerto Rico - Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs** --Innovative Outreach to Rural and Isolated Spanish-Speaking Individuals.
- Project Coordinator: Vanessa Diaz Fonseca

**Notes:**
We’re also working to expand and replicate these best practices through the work of our National Technical Assistance Resource Centers, which were just funded this month.  You’ll learn more about their plans, and have an opportunity to have input into their initial areas of focus at the national conference.     Click mouse

The Florida Department of Elder Affairs has won a grant to provide guidance and best practice information on reaching minority and non-English-speaking individuals.     Click mouse

The Virginia Department for the Aging will provide guidance on outreach to rural and geographically isolated individuals.     Click mouse

Puerto Rico’s Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs will test some innovative strategies for reaching rural and isolated Spanish-speaking individuals and funnel that information to all of you through the Florida and Virginia resource centers.     Click mouse

And, finally, the New York State Office for the Aging will provide guidance on best practice strategies for working with providers, caregivers, and government agencies.

All of these resource centers with work with you to replicate and expand strategies and products that are working so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

##      USE AOA TO HELP REPLICATE        PRACTICES & PRODUCTS 

-   Consumer Education Materials (**Kenton.Williams@aoa.gov)**

-   Conferences

- Brochures

- Videos

- Health Care Journals

- Volunteer Pins & Certificates of Appreciation

-   Facilitate Grantee Info- Sharing

- Listserv

- Revised Web Site

##              GRANTEES’  ROLES

- Number one mandate is to train seniors, who in turn
- educate beneficiaries – only reached small proportion so far.

-  Reach new communities

-  Educate unserved/underserved – materials effective

-  Share strategies that have worked

-  Work with AoA and all of our partners

##                  CONCLUSION

- Reducing the Error Rate & Stopping Fraud & Abuse Are
- Important Administration Goals

-   Goal is to reduce the Medicare error rate to 5 percent
-     in fiscal year 2002.

-   We at AoA believe these projects are an important
-     component of that effort.

-   Congress will decide on future funding and directions,
-     based on our continued good work & outcomes.

-   There is much more to accomplish -- with your help.