Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups / Senior Medicare Patrol

CWAG engages in collaborative, productive, and effective advocacy work with other partners in the Aging Network and other public interest partners in providing a variety of programs, services, advocacy, legal services and education to Wisconsin's senior citizens and to future generations.

The Wisconsin Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) is one department of CWAG. SMPs empower and assist Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report health care fraud, errors, and abuse through outreach, counseling, and education. SMPs are grant-funded projects of the federal U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL).

SMPs work in three main areas:

Conduct Outreach and Education. SMPs give presentations to groups, exhibit at events, and work one-on-one with Medicare beneficiaries. In 2013 more than 1 million people were served nationally by the SMP program’s outreach and education efforts.

Engage Volunteers. Protecting older persons’ health, finances, and medical identity while saving precious Medicare dollars is a cause that attracts civic-minded Americans. The SMP program engages over 5,000 volunteers nationally who collectively contribute approximately 150,000 hours each year.

Receive Beneficiary Complaints. When Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers, and family members bring their complaints to the SMP, the SMP makes a determination about whether or not fraud, errors, or abuse is suspected. When fraud or abuse are suspected, they make referrals to the appropriate state and federal agencies for further investigation.

The Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups (CWAG) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan statewide membership organization founded in 1978. CWAG’s mission is to improve the quality of life for people of all ages through: intergenerational understanding and leadership development, public education, legal and legislative advocacy and public policy development.

CWAG represents over 125,000 people in Wisconsin. Born out of grassroots activism, CWAG formed as the voice of seniors in Wisconsin after 4,000 individuals marched on the state Capitol in 1977 to improve senior conditions in the state. CWAG celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2007. CWAG continues to be a statewide advocacy and legal services organization dedicated to the needs of older persons.