Did Medicare Just Call Me? How to Spot a Scam During Open Enrollment

Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, and the calls start weeks before it. If someone calls saying they're from Medicare and asks for your Medicare number, hang up. According to the FTC, real Medicare representatives won't call, text or email you out of the blue to ask for your numbers or a payment.

That one fact stops most of these scams. Here's how the rest of it works.

01Why do the calls pick up in the fall?

Plans can start advertising for next year on October 1. From then until December 7, TV, mailboxes and phones fill up with Medicare offers.

Scammers use the noise. When every other ad mentions Medicare, a call claiming to be Medicare sounds normal.

02What does a Medicare scam call sound like?

The FTC describes the most common version. The caller says you need a "new" or "updated" Medicare card, then asks for your Medicare number, your bank account or a credit card.

Your caller ID may even say Medicare. According to the FTC, caller ID can be faked, so don't rely on it.

03What does real Medicare do and not do?

According to Medicare.gov, Medicare will never call you to sell you anything or visit you at your home.

According to the FTC, real Medicare cards are free and mailed to you automatically. Medicare only asks you to verify information if you contacted them first.

Licensed agents have rules here too. CMS doesn't allow agents to cold call you or knock on your door about a Medicare plan unless you asked them to (42 CFR 422.2264). A real agent will tell you who they are, the company they work for, and that they're licensed. A caller who claims to be Medicare itself is not an agent.

04Who should have my Medicare number?

According to Medicare.gov, give your Medicare card or number only to your doctor or people you know should have it. That includes your plan, your pharmacy, and an agent you chose to work with.

Treat it like a bank card. Someone who calls you uninvited doesn't need it.

05What to do if you get one of these calls

1. Hang up. Don't confirm your name, your number or your birthday.
2. Don't call back a number the caller gave you.
3. Report it to 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
4. Then tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
5. If you have a Medicare Advantage or drug plan and something looks wrong on your statement, you can also call the Investigations Medicare Drug Integrity Contractor at 1-877-7SAFERX (1-877-772-3379).

If you already gave out your number, call 1-800-MEDICARE and tell them. Then watch your Medicare statements for services you never got.

Not sure how this applies to your own situation? I'll walk through it with you. No cost for the help, and no obligation to enroll.

Logan Cope · Licensed Insurance Agent

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06How do I make real changes safely?

Open Enrollment is still worth using. Your plan can change every January, and October 15 to December 7 is when you can change with it. My post on when Medicare Open Enrollment is and what you can change walks through it.

Do it through someone you contacted yourself. That can be Medicare.gov, your State Health Insurance Program, or a licensed agent in Rogersville, TN, like me.