PARKTON, Md. — A Parkton woman has been receiving medical braces in the mail that she never ordered, and companies have been billing her Medicare plan thousands of dollars for the unwanted equipment.

Gail Barkley has recently received braces for her knee, wrist and a large one for her back — all arriving without her requesting them or her doctor prescribing them.

"No, I don't," Barkley said when asked if she had any idea how the braces ended up at her home.

Her son Steve Barkley, who lives across the street, tried calling the companies for answers.

"Typically, there's no answer or if you leave a message, there's no call back," said Steve Barkley.

He's since learned several businesses billed Medicare for the unwanted equipment. One company charged more than $1,100 for the back brace, a

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