Senior Medicare Patrol Program (NCSMP)

The North Carolina Senior Medicare Patrol (NCSMP) Program is housed within the Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) at the North Carolina Department of Insurance. NCSMP is a preventive educational program whose goal is to reduce Medicare error, fraud, and abuse through statewide coordinated efforts of educational and promotional activities and to encourage reporting of discrepancies by Medicare beneficiaries and caregivers to the NCSMP Program.

NCSMP’s purpose is to educate Medicare beneficiaries and caregivers about Medicare benefits in order to understand Medicare Statements such as Medicare Summary Notices, Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) Explanations of Benefits (EOB) and other related health care statements. Through this knowledge, a person can identify, resolve and/or report possible billing errors, fraud, abuse and waste to NCSMP.  

In North Carolina, all NCSMP volunteers are fully trained SHIIP volunteers.  Learn how to become a volunteer with SHIIP and NCSMP.

Did you know that:

• 68 billion dollars of the taxpayers’ money is lost annually to billing discrepancies, fraud, abuse and waste in the Medicare program?
• “fraud and abuse” in the Medicare program often times are actually billing errors or discrepancies?
• the process of reporting suspected fraud abuse and waste is to contact the provider to seek resolution; to contact their Medicare carriers and insurance companies and to file an appeal by following the appeal instructions found on the back of the Medicare Summary Notice? And if your situation is not resolved satisfactorily, you should contact the North Carolina SMP Program at the nationwide toll-free number, 855-408-1212?

Remember to:

• review your Medicare statements
• protect your Medicare number
• do not be influenced by advertising for services, medications or products that sound “too good to be true”
• educate yourself about your Medicare benefits
• rarely are Medicare services “free”
• Medicare does not solicit door-to-door

Protect...Detect...Report

Contact NCSMP toll-free at 855-408-1212:

To speak with one of our NCSMP Medicare Specialists or email your name and telephone number to us at NCSMP@ncdoi.gov and one of them will call you.

NCSMP is a member of the North Carolina Partnership to Address Adult Abuse, North Carolina Senior Consumer Fraud Task Force, Better Business Bureau of Southern Piedmont and Western N.C., Consumer Task Force, and the Wake Elder Abuse Task Force.

Related Publications

SMP Medicare Summary Notice Fact Sheet

SMP Prescription Drug Scam Flyer

SMP Program Brochure

SMP What is Medicare Fraud Fact Sheet

Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence

Consumer Fraud Alerts

NC Department of Justice

Protecting Yourself & Medicare from Fraud

Quick Facts About Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage and Protecting Your Personal Information

National SMP Resource Center

Administration for Community Living