CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va — A Chesterfield County woman is calling on the federal government to better safeguard taxpayer dollars after she noticed highly questionable charges on her Medicare statements that appeared to have been paid.
According to claim details on Maureen Patton's Medicare account, a company named Centennial Med Supply LLC out of Denver, Colorado billed Medicare for seven installments of catheter-related supplies near the end of 2025. The quantity reflected 300 for each order.
"I saw pages and pages of expenses that totaled over $15,000," Patton said.
Patton said she does not need catheters, never ordered any, never received any, and would not even know what to do with 2,100 catheters.
She believes the claims should have raised some red flags with Medicare.
“I think definitely they should have wondered, because that didn't fit with my medical profile for years that I've been on Medicare, and furthermore, they should have wondered, 'Why living in Virginia, is she getting medical supplies from Colorado?'" she said.
But according to the claim details, Medicare processed the claim in December 2025, and it showed up as "approved." Documentation showed Medicare paid about $12,000 and sent the remaining balance to Patton's supplemental insurance provider.
BlueCross BlueShield did not pay the rest of the costs, according to Patton's explanation of benefits. The document stated the insurance company needed "more information" and requested additional records before considering payment.
“I called BlueCross BlueShield, and they said, ‘Well, we've looked through the case and we saw that, but it looked like a very suspicious claim, so we denied it,'" Patton said.
Patton feels that's what Medicare should have done in the first place.
“They should be ashamed that they were not taking care of government's money," Patton said. "There must be something lackadaisical in their business.”
But a spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said it "is important to note that just because something is marked “payable” does not mean funds will be paid—that is not the final step in the process."
"If a provider or supplier is under investigation and their payments are suspended, that information is not reflected in a Medicare Summary Notice (MSN). Therefore, while it may appear as though CMS has paid for an item/service, payment has instead been withheld pending investigation," CMS said.
Late last year, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) issued a warning about Centennial after consumers nationwide alleged it billed Medicare and secondary insurance providers for unordered medical supplies.
The company's BBB profile shows dozens of reviews with similar complaints.
CBS 6 left a message with a phone number listed for the company, but we have not heard back.
CMS said it is "aware of Centennial Med Supply, LLC and has taken various steps to address its billing behavior." The agency said the company has been revoked from the Medicare program since October 2025.
Patton said she reported the suspicious activity to Medicare, but at this time, she has not received a final disposition. CMS said these kinds of investigations are "complex," and the length of an investigation can depend on the "scope of the allegations, the volume of evidence, and due process considerations."
Patton is now calling on others to check their Medicare statements to ensure everything looks right. She's also calling on the government to make sure it has the proper measures in place to catch questionable charges ahead of time and protect public funds.
"I want people to be more careful and responsible," she said.
CMS said it "routinely monitors billing patterns across its programs using advanced data analytics, beneficiary complaints, and referrals from providers, states, and law enforcement to identify potential fraud, waste, or abuse." When concerns arise, the agency said it suspends payments, revokes billing privileges, and refers cases to law enforcement.
CMS says: Beneficiaries who suspect fraud—including those who receive items/services not ordered/authorized or who notice their MSN includes items/services not ordered/received—should report concerns through 1-800-MEDICARE or directly to the HHS OIG Hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS. Additional information on how CMS fights fraud is available at www.cms.gov/fraud.
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