Stealing From Your Medicare

FOX 26 Investigates was the first to expose massive Medicare fraud involving motorized wheelchairs and scooters. Now FOX 26 exposes the latest scam targeting senior citizens on Medicare.

While arthritis is nothing new some doctors say it's one of the biggest health problems facing our aging population.

"In fact, arthritis is one of the leading causes of disability in the country today," Dr. Abigail Neiman said.

Just getting around her apartment can be a painful chore for Shirley Shupp who has two artificial knees and suffers from arthritis. When someone called her about a new Medicare approved arthritis kit Shupp thought it was something her doctor ordered.

"I just assumed that my nurse had took care of everything," Shupp said.

Shupp would later learn the Medicare arthritis kit wasn't approved by her doctor.

Turns out there is no such thing as a Medicare approved arthritis kit according to regional Medicare officals in Dallas.

"They've taken something Medicare will pay for, individual items like a wrist band, like a knee brace, like a back brace, and the scam artists have taken them and packaged them making it sound like it's a new thing a Medicare approved arthritis kit," Barbara McGinity with the Better Business Bureau said.

FOX 26 Investigates interviewed two women who worked as telemarketers, calling senior citizens about the so-called Medicare approved arthritis kit.

According to those women, many of the Medicare patients they contacted never got the kit even though their Medicare was billed hundreds of dollar.

"I think it's terrible I think it's terrible that senior citizens are being scammed like this," Shupp said.

"It's a waste of tax payer dollars and I don't think we have a lot of money to waste right now," McGinity said.