Elder abuse of Medicare beneficiaries at nursing homes is being underreported to law enforcement, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services “has inadequate procedures” to ensure facilities are complying with the law, according to an early alert issued Monday by the Health and Human Services Inspector General’s office.

The preliminary results of the Inspector General’s ongoing review identified 134 Medicare beneficiaries whose injuries may have been the result of potential abuse or neglect occurring during 2015 and 2016. In addition, “a significant percentage” — 28 percent — of these incidents may not have been reported to law enforcement.

The Inspector General found no evidence in the hospital records that the 38 incidents were reported to local law enforcement, despite mandatory state reporting laws requiring the hospitals’ medical staff to do so. Moreover, prior audit reports show that group homes did not report up to 15 percent of critical incidents to the appropriate state agencies.