How to Spot a Medicare Phone Scam

Medicare phone scams are one of the most common and harmful scams aimed at older Americans. Every year, criminals steal billions of dollars from Medicare by tricking people into giving away their Medicare number, which is then used to bill the government for fake medical care, supplies, or tests. The scams cost the federal Medicare program around $60 billion a year, money that comes from the same taxpayers who fund the program. They also leave victims with a long mess of confusing bills, denied claims, and stolen identities. The good news is that real Medicare follows a small list of strict rules, and once you know the rules, spotting a scam call becomes much faster.

The first and most important rule is this: real Medicare almost never calls you. Medicare communicates with members by mail. If you have a question, problem, or new benefit, you receive a letter, a Medicare Summary Notice, or a packet in your mailbox. The only time Medicare may call is if you have called Medicare first and a representative is calling you back about that specific request, or if you have signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan or prescription drug plan and that plan's customer service calls about your account. Any other phone call claiming to be from Medicare is almost certainly a scam.

The second rule is that real Medicare and real medical companies never threaten you. They do not say your benefits will be canceled today. They do not say a sheriff or the police will come to your door. They do not say you must pay a fine in gift cards or wire transfer. They do not say you owe money for a free service you never asked for. Any caller using fear, urgency, or threats is a scammer, no matter how official they sound. Hanging up is always the right move. And you cannot be in trouble for hanging up on a scammer.

The third rule is that real Medicare never asks for your full Medicare number, Social Security number, bank account, or credit card over the phone unless you called Medicare first. If a stranger calls and says they need to verify your Medicare number, your account number, or your date of birth, that is a scam, period. Your Medicare number is as valuable as your Social Security number. Once it is in the wrong hands, criminals use it to bill for fake supplies like braces, walkers, or genetic tests. If you ever need to verify a call truly came from Medicare, hang up and call the real Medicare number yourself: 1-800-MEDICARE, which is 1-800-633-4227. The number is on the back of your red, white, and blue Medicare card and at medicare.gov.