Medicare Open Enrollment Scams to Avoid
Lindsay Knake
| 4 min read
Lindsay Knake is a brand journalist for Blue Cross B...
Key Takeaways
- Scammers posing as Medicare officials may request personal data such as your Medicare number, Social Security number or bank details by phone, text or email.
- Beware of high-pressure tactics that urge you to buy extra coverage, pay an alleged balance or act immediately to avoid losing benefits.
- Protect yourself by hanging up on unsolicited calls, avoiding unknown links, using only official sites and reporting suspicious activity.
When the annual Medicare enrollment period is open, scammers may take extra steps to take advantage of people signing up or confirming their health benefits.
Scammers can appear as Medicare representatives and attempt to steal money or personal information from you. Here are a few things to know about common Medicare scams and protective steps to take.
Stealing money or personal information
A scammer may call you and pretend to be a Medicare or government representative and say they need specific and sensitive information from you for a new Medicare card or to activate your current Medicare card. This is an attempt to steal money or personal information.
A scammer may ask for your:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Address
- Medicare number
- Social Security number
- Bank account information or debit or credit card number
- Account usernames and passwords
It’s important to know Medicare representatives only ask for personal information in situations such as returning your call or asking about reported fraud. Additionally, Medicare sends cards automatically and for free.
High-pressure messages and sales pitches
Some scammers may appear as government or health care representatives and give high-pressure messages or sales pitches. They may:
- Ask you to buy additional coverage or switch plans
- Say you have an unpaid balance and need to provide payment or banking information
- Inform you that your benefits are at risk unless you take certain steps
- Tell you to take an action immediately to avoid penalties or loss of coverage
Medicare will not attempt to sell you anything or call you to pressure you into a decision.
Medical equipment claims
A person with a scam may attempt to offer free medical equipment or supplies, medications or other services and ask for your Medicare number. This is also a scam attempting to exhaust your benefits or collect payment while never sending you equipment or services.
Any medical equipment or health services should be prescribed by a health care provider, not a Medicare or insurance representative.
Tips to avoid Medicare scams
Don’t give your personal information to anyone who calls, texts or emails you and asks for your Medicare, Social Security, or bank account numbers. Hang up on a person with an aggressive sales pitch or a robocall. Medicare representatives will only ask for your information if you contact them first or give them permission to contact you.
If someone calls you to ask for any personal information, even if the caller ID says they are from Medicare, hang up immediately and call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to confirm whether it’s real.
If you get a call from a number you don’t recognize, don’t answer. Let it go to voicemail, then you can determine if the call was from a legitimate person or entity.
Delete messages. Don’t click on links or open any attachments from someone claiming to be from Medicare, government offices or health insurance companies. This is likely a phishing scam, an attempt to steal sensitive data. Tag the messages as spam.
Use official websites such as Medicare.gov and HealthCare.gov.
Review your explanation of benefits statements and bank accounts to ensure you’re not being billed for services or equipment you didn’t receive.
Report Medicare scammers to 1-800-MEDICARE, the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General at 1-800-447-8477.For Medicare Advantage or a Part D prescription drug plan, you can call the Investigations Medicare Drug Integrity Contractor at 1-877-772-3379.
When you report this information, try to provide as much information as you can. This includes:
- The phone number or email address
- The date and time of the call
- The name they provided
- Any contact information they provided
- The information they requested
The Medicare annual enrollment period runs through Dec. 7, so be aware of possible scams and protect your personal information.
Image: Getty Images
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