FactFinder investigates why Medicare has paid thousands of dollars for catheters that are not wanted or used

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Joann Riedell and her husband spend their days retired like most couples do, cooking, cleaning house and watching television.

However, little did the couple from Wichita know that they were victims of an alleged multi-billion dollar scam.

“I saw this big section over here, and I thought what is that?” questioned Riedell looking through piles of paperwork on her kitchen table.

Last September, Riedell discovered something was off on her Medicare statements, hundreds of urinary catheters were charged and paid for on her behalf. What caught her attention was that neither her or her husband had ever ordered a catheter.

“I thought well we don’t use catheters,” said Riedell.

Riedell followed through with the steps listed on the back of her Medicare statement paperwork for if she suspected fraud. She filed a fraud complaint with Medicare and with Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach’s office. Afterwards, she thought her case was in the clear.

However, just a few months later, in February 2024, Riedell and her husband said they received another fraud bill for more catheters that once again, were not wanted, received or used. This one came from a different company, Pretty in Pink Boutique in El Paso.

“I said ‘What did you do with Pretty in Pink Boutique honey?’” Riedell asked her husband after receiving the second statement sheet. “He laughed and said he wondered about that.”

FactFinder 12 called Pretty in Pink Boutique, but the number listed for the company in Texas was not connected. In total, Medicare paid more than $25,000 for 3,200 catheters ordered under Riedell’s name. Reporting from the Washington Post showed that potentially more than $2 billion has been connected to a nationwide fraud ring involving catheters. That stat came from a report from the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations.

“We could have a catheter party,” said Riedell jokingly. “We can put little bows on them and hang them on Christmas trees.”

Teri Bjostad, the CEO of Bjostad & Associates, has worked with Medicare beneficiaries for 19 years. She said she has seen many clients like Riedell be targeted by scammers by not just ordering catheters, but other medical equipment on their behalf. Bjostad said every time Medicare pays for a bill, even if it isn’t what the beneficiary ordered, it is taxpayer money not being spent for what it is intended for.

“If we were to stop the fraud, we could probably cover our individuals nationwide at 100 percent,” said Bjostad.

Part of Bjostad’s job is to help inform and protect her clients from fraud, but she said with many scam opportunities circulating out there, it is not an easy job.

“At this point, there is no system I know of that can prevent all scams,” said Bjostad.

However, Riedell is calling for a better system to be put in place with more preventive measures to protect Medicare beneficiaries like herself. She believes she would have been protected and not received a bill a second time if her Medicare account was flagged after the first time she reported seeing a payment from Medicare to a company she’s never heard of before.

Riedell said she is on alert every time she receives mail from Medicare, hoping to not become a victim for a third time. She wants her story to be a reminder to thoroughly check your own Medicare statement, and if something does not appear right, to report it.

“I was told this could takes years and years,” said Riedell when she asked if her complaint could be resolved.

She said the response she received was, “Don’t worry about it, we’ll eventually get them.”

Riedell told 12 News that she worries it won’t be resolved in her lifetime.

Riedell’s story, among with others across the county, have gained attention at the national level. The Inspector General for the U.S. Health and Human Services issued a consumer watch for those that may have been impacted. They advise to not accept any medical equipment, specifically urinary catheters, that they receive, unless it was ordered by their physician.

If any Medicare beneficiaries spot a potential mistake on their statements, they are asked to file a fraud complaint to Medicare.

Bjostad will be hosting an informational seminar for new and longtime Medicare beneficiaries on Wednesday, March 27 at the Wichita Advanced Learning Library starting at 1 p.m. At the seminar, scam security tips will be shared to keep accounts safe from potential fraud schemes.

If you have received fraudulent catheters on your Medicare statement and it was paid for, FactFinder 12 wants to hear your story. Email KWCH-News@gray.tv with your story.

Copyright 2024 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com