2026 Medicare Wellness Visit Scam: How to Spot It and Hang Up
Callers pretending to be from Medicare are offering a "free wellness visit" to steal your number. Here is how to recognize and stop the scam.
At a Glance
In this guide (7 steps):
- 1.Recognize the scam in the first 10 seconds
- 2.Do not say "yes" or confirm any personal information
- 3.Hang up immediately — no need to be polite
- 4.If you already shared your Medicare number, act fast
- 5.Set up a fraud alert on your credit
- 6.Report the call to the FTC and Senior Medicare Patrol
- 7.Tell one other person today
Recognize the scam in the first 10 seconds
~32sWarning
Real Medicare communications come by U.S. Mail or through your secure account at MyMedicare.gov. Never by an unexpected phone call.
Do not say "yes" or confirm any personal information
~24sHang up immediately — no need to be polite
~35sQuick Tip
Quick Tip: Add the number to your phone's block list right away. On iPhone: tap the (i) next to the call in your Recent Calls list, then Block this Caller. On Android: tap the three-dot menu in Recent Calls, then Block/Report spam.
If you already shared your Medicare number, act fast
~36sWarning
Do NOT pay anyone who claims they can "get your stolen Medicare number back" or "remove your name from a fraud list." That is a second scam, often run by the same group.
Set up a fraud alert on your credit
~26sReport the call to the FTC and Senior Medicare Patrol
~28sQuick Tip
Quick Tip: After reporting, your phone may get fewer of these calls because your carrier flags the number based on FTC data.
Tell one other person today
~25sYou Did It!
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In the first half of 2026, the Federal Trade Commission and the Senior Medicare Patrol have logged a sharp rise in calls offering a "free Medicare Wellness Visit." The caller usually sounds friendly and professional. They will ask you to confirm your Medicare number "to schedule your visit." That confirmation is the entire scam — once they have your number, they bill Medicare for services you never received, and your benefits can be drained or your account flagged for fraud.
The real Annual Wellness Visit is a covered Medicare Part B benefit. And you do not need a phone call to set it up. You schedule it with your own doctor.
This guide walks through how to spot the scam, what to do if you have already shared your number, and how to report the call.
(Sources: FTC consumer alert — "Don't share your Medicare number," consumer.ftc.gov; Senior Medicare Patrol fraud alerts, smpresource.org; Medicare.gov — "Avoid fraud," medicare.gov/basics/reporting-medicare-fraud-and-abuse)
Watch a walkthrough: search YouTube for "Medicare wellness scam 2026" — AARP Fraud Watch Network has a current video.
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