George Grob /s/ 
Deputy Inspector General for 
Evaluation and Inspections 
Performance Data for the Senior Medicare Patrol Projects:  March 2001 Report

(OEI-02-01-00300)

Edwin Walker, Director

Office of Program Operations and Development

Administration on Aging

At the request of the Administration on Aging (AoA), we have continued to collect performance

data from the 41 existing and the 7 new Senior Medicare Patrol Projects.  The attachments

present cumulative performance data from the beginning of each project. Attachment A contains

42 months of data for the 12 original projects. Attachment B reflects the status after the first 18

months for 29 of the projects. Attachment C presents performance data for the first 6 months of

7 new projects. Please note that each project self-reports its own data and that we have not

independently verified their accuracy.

In summary, the 48 Senior Medicare Patrol projects have trained over 17,000 volunteers who

have educated a total of 380,000 beneficiaries.  They have also reached millions of people

through media and community education events. We estimate that their efforts have resulted in

about $2.7 million in recouped Medicare funds.  The HCFA is working with AoA to improve the

tracking and reporting of these savings. As previously reported, we expect a significant number

of the beneficiaries who have learned to detect fraud, waste, and abuse from the Senior

Medicare Patrol Projects, are calling the OIG fraud hotline or other contacts, thereby, not giving

the projects their full credit. Also, substantial savings, which cannot be tracked effectively, may

be derived from a sentinel effect whereby fraud and errors are reduced in light of Medicare

beneficiaries scrutiny of their bills.

In the first 6 months of the new grant period, the original 12 Senior Medicare Patrol Projects

have successfully continued their mission of educating beneficiaries about fraud, waste, and

abuse. Since the inception of these projects in July 1997, they have recruited and trained over

14,000 volunteers who have educated approximately 232,000 Medicare beneficiaries.  They

have generated 2,770 media events and conducted 2,748 community education events. Most

notably, 312 of the 8,108 complaints received warranted actions resulting in the identification of

$2.6 million in Medicare funds recouped.
 Page 2 - Edwin Walker 
The 29 Senior Medicare Patrol Projects which have operated for 18 months are also 
accomplishing a great deal through their efforts.  More than 3,200 trainers have educated 
150,000 beneficiaries.  In addition, they have promoted 4,200 media and community education 
events. These projects have referred 1,160 of the 2,671 complaints received. Nearly 60% 
(681) of those referred resulted in action. A total of $85,387 in Medicare funds recouped can be 
documented at this time, although we believe that the actual amount identified through these 
efforts is much higher. 
Four of the seven new projects submitted performance data reflecting their training activities. The 
other three remain in the planning stage, and have no numbers to report as of December 31, 
2000. The four projects trained 154 volunteers who have educated 363 beneficiaries. They 
have conducted 46 media and community education events.  Complaints received from 23 
beneficiaries resulted in 2 actions taken. One of these identified an erroneous charge of $10,100, 
detected before Medicare made the payment. 
We will continue to monitor the projects and provide you with summary reports of performance 
data. If you have any questions, please call me at (202) 619-0480 or have your staff call Jack 
Molnar at (212) 264-1998. 
Attachments  APPENDIX A 
42-Month Outcomes Reported by the Senior Medicare Patrol Projects

Activity  TOTAL  CA  HI  IA  IL  MD  MN  MO  NH  NY  PA  RI  WI 
OUTPUTS 
# training sessions  902  67  19  72  19  99  52  17  10  447  44  9  47 
# trainers trained  14,472  1,017  162  936  235  930  332  82  348  9,572  105  228  525 
# media events  2,770  158  74  396  74  154  293  54  980  267  45  139  136 
# community education  2,748  9  45  335  138  533  301  111  131  730  270  35  110 
OUTCOMES 
total # trainers who have ever  4,191  292  65  DK  235  74  92  82  344  2,817  50  23  117 
conducted activities 
# group sessions  5,197  920  152  654  1,101  167  348  96  336  619  372  201  231 
# beneficiaries at group  213,760  45,804  6,298  21,233  40,615  10,092  7,543  5,122  7,441  24,869  33,314  4,390  7,039 
sessions 
# one-on-one sessions  18,078  607  0  115  444  4,916  350  1,270  7,496  2,392  375  DK  113 
total # beneficiaries educated  231,838  46,411  6,298  21,348  41,059  15,008  7,893  6,392  14,937  27,261  33,689  4,390  7,152 
estimated # people reached  47,122,273  6,535,510  771,183  2,000,000  10,665,000  528,669  195,648  188,000  1,130,000  688,228  10,546,200  8,811,300  5,062,535 
by media events 
estimated # people reached  8,646,233  11,459  5,978  26,521  8,205  37,553  13,411  237,621  15,767  250,276  8,009,000  14,768  15,674 
by community education 
events 
# complaints received  8,108  607  24  776  206  812  185  19  4,721  196  440  31  91 
# complaints referred for  1,190  182  6  349  73  140  106  17  74  70  94  30  49 
follow-up 
# complaints resulting in  312  35  0  24  DK  101  26  DK  23  43  34  5  21 
some action 
Medicare $ recouped  2,614,994  1,315,119  0  1,145,767  DK  DK  109,997*  DK  0  3,008  144,179  DK  6,922 
Other $ recouped  48,419,638  38,787  0  58,691  146,485  DK  15,805  213,346  29,345  47,901,200  1,835  DK  14,143 
Total $ recouped  51,034,632  1,353,906  0  1,204,457  146,485  0  15,805  213,346  29,345  47,904,208  146,014  0  21,065 
*Pending documentation of actual recoupments  APPENDIX B 
18-Month Outcomes Reported by the Senior Medicare Patrol Projects

Activity  TOTAL  AK  AL  AR  AZ  CO  CT  DC 1  DC 2  DE  FL  GA3   GA4   ID  IN
OUTPUTS 
# training sessions  511  40  15  2  22  16  6  9  0  13  8  11  15  17  0 
# trainers trained  3,204  62  143  27  45  139  101  40  0  94  43  123  135  33  0 
# media events  2,397  35  63  17  396  19  23  16  0  910  41  1  6  142  1 
# community education events  1,803  36  93  47  135  55  107  25  15  45  46  2  59  28  2 
OUTCOMES 
total # trainers who have ever  1,401  55  57  8  12  22  6  14  5  35  21  87  52  23  0 
conducted activities 
# group sessions  2,783  20  108  38  70  203  41  54  14  82  31  108  257  226  0 
# beneficiaries at group sessions  124,629  494  2,953  5,206  13,446  7,481  951  2,148  245  2,011  1,061  3,023  8,822  6,791  0 
# one-on-one sessions  25,643  1,407  138  20  42  82  4  10  110  4  87  48  3  53  0 
total # beneficiaries educated  150,272  1,901  3,091  5,226  13,488  7,563  955  2,158  355  2,015  1,148  3,071  8,825  6,844  0 
estimated # people reached by  24,232,696  80,370  1,395,450  192,300  52,680  462,366  284,547  285,000  0  375,000  2,251,018  1,000  29,533  400,450  0 
media events 
estimated # people reached by  467,095  2,200  5,415  3,475  16,789  6,439  5,754  174,000  1,412  121,702  13,994  530  6,780  1,122  0 
community education events 
# complaints received  2,671  326  29  6  440  56  16  92  0  50  42  0  12  218  0 
# complaints referred for follow-up  1,160  4  17  4  46  8  10  33  0  2  7  0  3  147  0 
# complaints resulting in some  681  2  2  DK  1  DK  1  3  0  0  1  0  1  84  0 
action 
Medicare $ recouped  85,387  0  0  0  0  0  162  0  0  0  0  0  0  10,970  0 
Other $ recouped  81,649  12,414  0  0  618  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  22,705  0 
Total $ recouped  167,036  12,414  0  0  618  0  162  0  0  0  0  0  0  33,675  0 
Please note these distinctions: 
1. The AARP Foundation, DC  2. Friendship House, DC  3. Atlanta Regional Commission, GA  4. Department of Human Resources, GA 
APPENDIX B 
18-Month Outcomes Reported by the Senior Medicare Patrol Projects

Activity  MA  ME  M I  MT  NM  NV  OH  OK  OR  PR  TX5   TX6   UT  VA  WA
OUTPUTS 
# training sessions  25  17  24  4  4  35  3  2  48  8  9  15  5  15  123 
# trainers trained  158  110  289  31  102  41  63  16  289  79  154  46  45  339  457 
# media events  133  71  3  32  27  28  47  2  16  25  9  37  3  111  183 
# community education events  73  138  5  50  55  30  61  47  12  333  29  76  13  110  76 
OUTCOMES 
total # trainers who have ever  45  45  31  28  18  19  41  7  45  3  88  31  11  135  457 
conducted activities 
# group sessions  127  23  89  12  19  23  121  2  44  0  56  82  15  328  590 
# beneficiaries at group sessions  3,790  1,130  4,933  247  594  1,185  5,026  1,628  1,640  0  1,075  2,125  350  10,556  35,718 
# one-on-one sessions  1,375  112  0  6  367  20  357  2  23  5  135  277  57  0  20,899 
total # beneficiaries educated  5,165  1,242  4,933  253  961  1,205  5,383  1,630  1,663  5  1,210  2,402  407  10,556  56,617 
estimated # people reached by  166,650  2,202,351  1,100  82,210  242,500  3,532,832  1,275,002  20,100  2,364,650  850,000  630,000  2,412,000  1,700  2,108,453  2,533,434 
media events 
estimated # people reached by  5,027  6,587  1,650  1,232  10,816  2,817  8,196  3,951  11,144  5,000  4,000  4,349  2,900  22,287  17,527 
community education events 
# complaints received  65  29  129  6  63  81  8  6  28  710  35  38  7  135  44 
# complaints referred for follow- 7  20  44  0  37  11  1  6  14  600  0  11  0  105  23 
up 
# complaints resulting in some  DK  7  DK  0  28  2  0  0  4  520  0  5  0  DK  20 
action 
Medicare $ recouped  DK  DK  17,269  0  4,927  787  0  0  DK  DK  0  0  0  DK  51,272 
Other $ recouped  34,762  DK  2,466  0  382  3,723  0  0  DK  DK  0  86  0  DK  4,493 
Total $ recouped  34,762  0  19,735  0  5,309  4,510  0  0  0  0  0  86  0  0  55,765  Please note these distinctions: 
5. Baylor University, TX  6. The National Hispanic Council on Aging, TX 
APPENDIX C 
6-Month Outcomes Reported by the Senior Medicare Patrol Projects

Activity  TOTAL  LA  MS  NC  NE  SC  SD  WY 
OUTPUTS 
# training sessions  15  3  6  0  5  0  0  1 
# trainers trained  154  25  5  0  117  0  0  7 
# media events  19  11  2  0  2  0  0  4 
# community education events  27  5  22  0  0  0  0  0 
OUTCOMES 
total # trainers who have ever  20  12  1  0  0  0  0  7 
conducted activities 
# group sessions  29  24  5  0  0  0  0  0 
# beneficiaries at group sessions  95  24  71  0  0  0  0  0 
# one-on-one sessions  268  0  263  0  1  0  0  4 
total # beneficiaries educated  363  24  334  0  1  0  0  4 
estimated # people reached by  277,109  75,000  107,109  0  45,000  0  0  50,000 
media events 
estimated # people reached by  887  200  687  0  0  0  0  0 
community education events 
# complaints received  23  10  10  0  1  0  0  2 
# complaints referred for follow- 3  0  0  0  1  0  0  2 
up 
# complaints resulting in some  2  0  0  0  0  0  0  2 
action 
Medicare $ recouped  10,100  0  0  0  0  0  0  10,100 
Other $ recouped  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0 
Total $ recouped  10,100  0  0  0  0  0  0  10,100