Medicare Scam Calls: How to Spot Them, Stop Them, and Report Them
If your phone rings six times a day every fall, you are not imagining it. Medicare scam calls spike during open enrollment, October 15 to December 7, because that is when people expect to hear about their coverage. Most of those calls are sales calls. Some are scams. A few are both.
This page shows you how to tell the difference, what to do in the moment, and how to report a call that crossed the line. None of it requires a computer or any special knowledge. It comes down to a few rules you can keep by the phone.
The One Rule That Stops Most Medicare Scams
Never give your Medicare number to anyone who called you. Treat it like a credit card number. Your Medicare number is what a scammer needs to bill Medicare in your name for equipment, tests or services you never got. Once it is out, it can take months to find and fix the damage.
Medicare will not call you out of the blue to sell you a plan, check your number, or send you a new card. Licensed agents are not allowed to cold call you either. If someone calls you first and asks for your Medicare number, bank details or Social Security number, hang up. You have not been rude. You have done exactly the right thing.
Common Medicare Scam Calls in 2027
The script changes, but the goal is always the same: get your Medicare number or get you to switch plans without thinking it through. Here are the ones we hear about most.
“Your Medicare card is expiring”
Medicare cards do not expire. There is no renewal, no replacement fee and no phone verification. A caller who says your card is expiring and needs to “confirm your number” is running a scam. Hang up.
“You qualify for a flex card worth thousands”
Some Medicare Advantage plans include a flex card or grocery allowance, but it is a plan benefit, not a government program, and amounts vary by plan and county. Ads and callers that promise everyone a large card are usually trying to get you on the phone to switch plans. If a benefit matters to you, check what plans in your area actually offer. See what a Medicare flex card really is.
“Free” braces, test kits or genetic tests
A caller offers a free back brace, knee brace, diabetic supplies or a genetic test and only needs your Medicare number to send it. Medicare gets billed, sometimes hundreds or thousands of dollars, for items you did not need or never received. Your doctor orders medical equipment. A stranger on the phone does not.
“Money back on your Social Security check”
Some Medicare Advantage plans lower your Part B premium, which can add a little to your Social Security check. This is called a Part B giveback. It is only offered in some areas, and it is not extra money from Medicare. A plan built around a giveback still has to cover your doctors and your drugs.
“Medicare is calling about your benefits”
Many call centers open with a line that sounds official. If you did not ask anyone to call you, assume it is not Medicare. Hang up and call the number on the back of your card, or 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), and ask directly.
Is That Medicare Call Legitimate? A Quick Test
Ask yourself three questions while the caller is still talking:
- Did I ask for this call? If you did not request a call from this person or company, be very careful.
- Are they asking for my Medicare number, Social Security number or bank details? If yes, hang up.
- Are they rushing me? “This offer ends today” and “you’ll lose your benefits” are pressure tactics. Real deadlines, like December 7, are printed in your Medicare mail.
A legitimate agent will give you their full name, their license number and the name of their agency, and will be glad to call you back after you look them up. That is how we work. Here is what working with a Medicare agent should look like.
Can Someone Switch Your Medicare Plan Without You Knowing?
A Medicare plan change needs your permission, and enrollments taken over the phone are recorded. After any enrollment, the new plan mails you a confirmation letter. That letter is your early warning. If you get one you did not expect, act the same day.
If your plan was changed without your permission, call 1-800-MEDICARE and tell them it was an unauthorized enrollment. They can help put your original plan back. Keep every letter, and write down the date you found out and anyone you spoke with. If a change leaves you in a plan you did not choose, you may also have a special enrollment period to fix it.
How to Report a Medicare Scam Call
Reporting takes a few minutes and helps stop the same caller from reaching your neighbors. Write down the phone number, the date, the name they gave and what they asked for. Then use any of these:
- 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Report the call, and say so if you gave out your Medicare number.
- Senior Medicare Patrol: 1-877-808-2468. Every state has one. Trained volunteers help you report fraud and review your statements, at no cost.
- HHS Office of Inspector General: 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477).
- ReportFraud.ftc.gov for scam and robocalls.
- IdentityTheft.gov if someone has used your information to get care or services.
After any suspicious call, check your Medicare Summary Notice or your plan’s Explanation of Benefits over the next few months. Look for services, equipment or tests you do not recognize, and report anything that does not look right.
How to Cut Down Medicare Calls and Junk Mail
You cannot stop every call, but you can cut the volume a lot:
- Register your phone numbers, home and cell, at donotcall.gov or 1-888-382-1222. It is free.
- When a sales call gets through, say: “Put me on your internal do not call list.” Companies are required to honor that.
- Opt out of prescreened insurance and credit offers at OptOutPrescreen.com, and register at DMAchoice.org to reduce marketing mail.
- Be careful with online forms and TV ads that ask for your phone number. Many of them sell your number to call centers.
Keep reading the mail from your own plan and from Medicare. Your Annual Notice of Change, enrollment confirmations and Summary Notices are how you catch real problems early.
The Honest Tradeoff: Calls Versus Real Help
Not every Medicare call is a scam. Some are from licensed agents at large call centers who can legally enroll you in a plan. The problem is that a call center’s job is usually to finish a sale on that call, often with a plan you will not hear from them about again. That is how people end up with a plan their doctor does not take, or a drug that suddenly costs three times more.
The alternative is simple: choose who you talk to instead of letting them choose you. A local, independent agent can compare plans from several companies, check your doctors and prescriptions, and be there next year when things change. It costs you nothing, and the plan’s price is the same either way. Sometimes the right answer is that your current plan is fine and you should keep it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Medicare ever call you?
Medicare generally does not call you unless you contacted them first or asked for a call. It will not call to sell a plan, verify your number or replace your card.
Do Medicare cards expire?
No. Medicare cards do not expire, and there is no renewal. A caller saying yours is expiring is running a scam.
What should I do if I gave my Medicare number to a scammer?
Call 1-800-MEDICARE and the Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-877-808-2468 right away, and watch your Medicare statements for charges you do not recognize. Report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov.
Can someone change my Medicare plan over the phone?
Only with your permission. If a plan change happens that you did not agree to, call 1-800-MEDICARE and report an unauthorized enrollment. It can be reversed.
Want a Second Opinion Without the Sales Call?
If the calls have you wondering whether your plan is actually right for you, start with the Medicare Clarity Score. It takes about three minutes and shows whether your plan has hidden risks in three areas: penalties, coverage gaps and overpayment. You only talk to anyone if you want to.
Prefer a real person? Talk with Scott, an independent agent licensed in 11 states. No pressure. No jargon. Just clear answers.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. Trusted SR Solutions is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. Scott Bowling, TX License #2882146.