Medicare Season Is Here — And So Are the Scammers

Why Medicare season attracts scammers

Every year, Medicare Open Enrollment runs from October 15 to December 7. During those weeks, people with Medicare can review and change their health and drug plans for the following year. This year, Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and changes made during this period generally take effect January 1, 2027.

That means a lot of Medicare in the air at once: TV ads, mailers, plan comparison tools, agent appointments, letters from your current plan. Most of it is legitimate.

But volume creates cover. When you're expecting Medicare-related mail and calls, one more call "from Medicare" doesn't feel unusual. Criminals count on that.

It helps to know there are four very different things going on this season:

• Legitimate Medicare communication. Medicare mostly communicates by mail, such as your annual Medicare & You handbook and Medicare Summary Notices. A 1-800-MEDICARErepresentative may call you back if you called first and asked for a callback.
• Legitimate plan marketing. Private Medicare Advantage and drug plans are allowed to advertise on TV, radio, in print and by mail. The agent who enrolled you, or your current plan, may call you.
• Prohibited marketing behavior. Under Medicare's own marketing rules, plan representatives aren't allowed to call you unless you're already a member or gave permission. They also can't claim to be calling on behalf of Medicare, or show up uninvited at your door.
• Outright criminal scams. Impersonators who want your Medicare number, Social Security number or bank details for identity theft or fraudulent billing.

Not every Medicare sales call is a crime. But an unexpected call that pressures you or asks for your numbers deserves the same response either way.

The Medicare card replacement lie

The card scam has been around since Medicare replaced Social Security numbers on cards with new, unique Medicare numbers in 2018–2019. That card rollout is long finished, but the story scammers tell about it keeps resurfacing in new forms.

Common versions government and Senior Medicare Patrol sources have warned about include:

• "We need to confirm your Medicare or Social Security number so we can send your new card."
• "There's a charge for your new card, and we need to verify your information."
• "You need a temporary card until the new one arrives."
• "Your card must be activated or your benefits will stop."

The facts: Medicare cards are not "activated" by phone. There was no charge for the new cards. And if you genuinely lose or damage your card, you start the process: log in to your secure account at Medicare.gov to print an official copy, or call 1-800-MEDICARE yourself.

"We need your Medicare number"

Your Medicare number may not look as sensitive as your Social Security number, but it's valuable to criminals. With it, someone can bill Medicare for services, tests or equipment you never received. That's medical identity theft, and it can create false entries in your health records.

Treat your Medicare card like a credit card. Share the number only with your doctors, pharmacists, your plan, and people you trust to work with Medicare on your behalf.

If an unexpected caller asks for it, there's no need to argue or explain. A simple "I don't give that out on the phone" and a hang-up is complete.

"Free" braces, genetic tests and "you qualify" offers

Some of the most persistent Medicare fraud schemes come wrapped as a gift.

The HHS Office of Inspector General has issued a public fraud alert about "free" genetic testing: scammers offering cheek swabs or screenings through telemarketing calls, health fair booths and door-to-door visits, in order to get Medicare information for identity theft or fraudulent billing. OIG advises refusing any genetic testing kit you didn't get from your own doctor.

Senior Medicare Patrol materials list similar bait: back or knee braces you didn't ask for, cancer screening kits, telehealth offers, and "new" Medicare cards.

The pattern is easy to remember: If it's free, why do they need your Medicare number? Do not accept unexpected medical tests or equipment based only on an unsolicited call. Verify any recommendation with your own doctor or another trusted health-care provider before providing your Medicare number.

If a package of medical equipment shows up that you didn't order, you can refuse delivery or return it. Note the sender and date, and report it.

Medicare impersonation by phone, text and email

Scammers don't need to be clever to look official. A few tools do the work:

• Spoofed caller ID. Criminals can make a call appear to come from "Medicare," a government agency or a local number. Caller ID tells you what someone wants you to see, not who's calling.
• Phishing texts and emails. A message says your benefits are on hold or you're owed a refund, with a link to "verify" your account. The link leads to a look-alike page that captures your information.
• Official-sounding names. Some callers use names designed to sound like a government office. Real plans may use the word "Medicare" in their name, but they can't imply they are Medicare.

The safest habit: don't use any phone number or link supplied in an unexpected message. The FTC notes that caller ID can be faked and recommends hanging up and calling 1-800-MEDICAREdirectly. You can also go to Medicare.gov by typing the address yourself.

AI changes the equation

Artificial intelligence makes impersonation more convincing. The Federal Trade Commission has warned that scammers can use AI voice-cloning tools with a short clip of someone's voice, such as audio posted online, to sound like a real person. Scam scripts and emails are also getting more polished, with fewer of the typos that used to give them away.

That changes the advice in one important way: how real someone sounds is no longer proof of who they are. A smooth, professional voice, or even a familiar one, can be fake. Verification has to come from you calling a number you already trust.

7 Medicare Scam Warning Signs Every Family Should Know

1. The call, text or email came out of the blue, and claims to be from Medicare.
2. They ask you to give or "confirm" your Medicare number, Social Security number or bank information.
3. They mention a fee for a new card, a temporary card or "activation."
4. They threaten your coverage, saying benefits will stop if you don't act today.
5. They offer something free (a brace, a genetic test, equipment) in exchange for your number.
6. They rush you, with "limited time" or "early bird" deals. Be suspicious of high-pressure ‘act today,’ ‘limited-time,’ or ‘early-bird’ language. Medicare Open Enrollment has established dates, and legitimate plan decisions should not depend on a stranger pressuring you to act immediately.
7. They want you to stay on the line or ask you not to check with anyone else.

If information has already been shared

It happens to smart, careful people. What matters is acting quickly and calmly.

• Gave out your Medicare number? Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048) to report it. Senior Medicare Patrol recommends asking whether you should get a new Medicare number.
• Get local help. Your state's Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) helps people with suspected Medicare fraud and medical identity theft at no cost: 1-877-808-2468 or smpresource.org.
• Report fraud to the HHS Office of Inspector General: 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) or tips.oig.hhs.gov.
• Gave out your Social Security number? Go to IdentityTheft.gov (or call 1-877-438-4338) for a personalized recovery plan. You can also contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.
• Gave out bank or card information? Call your bank or card company right away, using the number on your card or statement.
• Watch your Medicare Summary Notices and plan statements for services, tests or equipment you didn't receive, and report anything you don't recognize.
• Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.