What Medicare never does
The fastest way to spot a scam is knowing what the real thing never does. Medicare does not call you uninvited to sell you a plan, ask for your Medicare number to “verify” an account it called you about, threaten to cancel your coverage unless you act today, or charge you for a new Medicare card. If a call opens with any of those, you already have your answer.
Red flags in the first minute
- Urgency. “You must act today or lose your benefits” is pressure, not policy.
- Requests for your Medicare, Social Security, or bank numbers on a call you did not initiate.
- “Free” offers such as braces, back braces, or genetic tests that just need your Medicare number.
- Odd payment requests. Nothing legitimate in Medicare is paid for with gift cards or wire transfers.
Mailers that dress up as official
During enrollment seasons, mailboxes fill with pieces designed to look governmental: eagles, seals, “important Medicare information” stamps. Legitimate mail from Medicare comes from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services or Social Security. Marketing mail must identify the company behind it, so look for the fine print before you call any number printed on it.
Why the calls spike in the fall
Scam activity tracks the Medicare calendar. During the fall Annual Enrollment Period, legitimate marketing, aggressive marketing, and outright fraud all land in the same week, and they are engineered to be hard to tell apart. Treat every unsolicited contact with the same standard year-round, and the season stops mattering.
What to do when you’re not sure
Hang up or set the mailer aside, then verify through a channel you control: call 1-800-MEDICARE, log into your Medicare.gov account, or ask a licensed local agent you already know. If you gave out information, contact Medicare promptly and watch your statements for claims you do not recognize.
If you’re reading this for a parent
Most of the worst outcomes we hear about started with a senior who was too polite to hang up. Give your parent a script: “I don’t make decisions on the phone. Send it in writing.” Then set up call screening, and agree that any Medicare decision gets a second set of eyes, yours, an agent they know, or 1-800-MEDICARE, before anything is signed or read aloud to a caller.
How legitimate agents actually work
Real licensed agents work with your consent: you reach out, or you agree to be contacted. They can show you their license, they never charge you to compare plans, and they are fine with “let me think about it.” That is how we work, and it is a fair standard to hold anyone to. If you want a second opinion on anything you have received, we’re local and the review costs nothing.
- Medicare does not cold-call to sell plans
- Never give your Medicare number to a caller you didn’t invite
- No legitimate Medicare cost is paid by gift card
- When unsure: hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE yourself
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