Medicare Scams to Avoid
May 20, 2026
Medicare scams are attempts by criminals to steal your Medicare number, Social Security number, or money by posing as Medicare, a health plan, or a licensed insurance agent. These medicare scams increase every year during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, which runs October 15 through December 7, when scammers know beneficiaries expect calls and mail about coverage changes. Activity also rises during Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment (January 1 through March 31) and whenever a Special Enrollment Period lets someone switch plans outside the usual windows. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that runs Medicare, restricts how agents can contact beneficiaries, and knowing those rules is the fastest way to spot a fake call or visit. Medicare itself will never call you out of the blue to sell a plan, ask you to confirm your Medicare number, or threaten to cancel your coverage if you don't pay.
Quick Answer
Medicare scams involve someone posing as a Medicare representative, insurance agent, or government official to get your Medicare number, Social Security number, or payment information. Common tactics include unsolicited phone calls, high-pressure sales pitches disguised as free seminars, uninvited door-to-door visits, and text messages asking you to "verify" personal details. Medicare never cold-calls beneficiaries, never threatens to cancel coverage over the phone, and never requests your Medicare number unsolicited. If you suspect a scam, hang up, don't share any information, and report it to 1-800-MEDICARE or your local Senior Medicare Patrol.
Scammers rely on a small set of scripts that repeat every enrollment season. Learn to recognize these patterns before you engage with a caller, texter, or visitor:
Top Medicare Scam Red Flags
- A caller claims to be from Medicare and asks you to confirm or read back your Medicare number. Medicare already has your number and will not ask for it by phone.
- Someone says your Medicare benefits will be canceled unless you pay right away. Medicare does not threaten beneficiaries over the phone.
- You're offered a free gift, meal, or prize just for attending a Medicare sales meeting or seminar. Expensive 'free' items tied to a sales pitch are a common lure.
- An agent or salesperson shows up at your door without an appointment. Unsolicited, uninvited Medicare sales visits are a red flag.
- A text message asks you to 'verify' your Medicare number or click a link to update your account. Legitimate Medicare communications don't request this by text.
Federal marketing rules limit when and how licensed agents can contact you about Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. In general, an agent can only reach out after you've given permission, for example by requesting information through a form or calling a number you found yourself. If someone calls, texts, or knocks on your door without that prior contact, treat it as a warning sign rather than a sales opportunity. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the agency that enforces federal consumer protection law, has published guidance on how to spot and avoid Medicare scams, including common scripts scammers use during enrollment season.
The safest way to avoid medicare scams is to control who contacts you, and when. Before you get on a call with any agent, get familiar with your options. Review how Medicare Advantage differs from Original Medicare, compare options with our guide to comparing Medigap plans side by side, and look up unfamiliar terms in our Medicare glossary. Knowing the vocabulary ahead of time makes it harder for a scammer to rush you into a decision using terms you don't recognize.
Safer Ways to Compare Medicare Plans
- Work only with a licensed agent you sought out yourself, not one who called, texted, or knocked on your door uninvited.
- Use a plan comparison framework so you know what questions to ask before you ever get on a call.
- Search a company's name plus 'complaints' before sharing any personal information with them.
- Never give your Medicare number over the phone or online to anyone who contacted you first.
Important
Report suspected Medicare fraud right away by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or reporting it directly through Medicare.gov. Report even if you're not certain the call or offer was fraudulent; investigators would rather review a false alarm than miss an active scam.
Two free programs exist specifically to help if you suspect fraud or just need unbiased help sorting a real offer from a scam. Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is a federally funded counseling service that offers free, unbiased Medicare guidance in every state; find your local office through SHIP's national directory. The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) is a companion program that trains volunteers to help beneficiaries identify, prevent, and report Medicare fraud; you can reach your local SMP through the SMP Resource Center. According to the Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Sentinel Network, government imposter scams, which include callers posing as Medicare representatives, rank among the most frequently reported fraud categories in the United States. Treating your Medicare number with the same caution as a credit card number is one of the simplest ways to stay off that list.
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