Today

Medicare Fraud Prevention Week puts scams, oversight, and patient safety in the spotlight

Good morning. Today's headlines are dominated by Medicare Fraud Prevention Week. State insurance departments, advocacy groups, and federal officials are urging older adults to watch for phone scams, fake plan offers, and suspicious billing. Two recent court cases — a Jacksonville businessman facing prison and a $30 million penalty, and a Rochester broker who avoided jail — show why the warnings matter.

There is also news that touches daily care. A KFF report looks at how affordable health care really is for people on Medicare, and Modern Healthcare reports that a freeze on home health payments could slow hospital discharges for seniors who need help at home. A Kansas City story offers gentle guidance on knowing when it may be time to consider memory care.

In community news, two men with dementia walked out of nursing homes — one in Shaker Heights, Ohio — reminding families of the importance of safe memory care settings. New senior living projects broke ground in Jacksonville, Grand Rapids, and College Station, even as a vacant former nursing home in Shoreline, Washington caught fire early Wednesday.