Medicare Wellness Visit Scam: Spot It, 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.
5 min read · 7 steps · Checked May 2026
Step 1. Recognize the scam in the first 10 seconds
The caller will use one of three openers: "Hi, I am calling from Medicare about your free wellness visit," "Your Medicare card needs to be updated for 2026," or "We are confirming the address to ship your new Medicare card." None of those things happen by phone. Medicare does not call you to schedule wellness visits. Medicare does not issue new cards by phone. The moment you hear any of these openers, the call is a scam.
Warning
Real Medicare communications come by U.S. Mail or through your secure account at MyMedicare.gov. Never by an unexpected phone call.
Step 2. Do not say "yes" or confirm any personal information
Scammers record calls. Even a single "yes" can be edited and used as fake authorization. Do not say yes. Do not confirm your name, address, date of birth, or the last four digits of anything. Do not press 1, 2, or any other number to "be removed from the list" — that confirms your number is active and brings more calls. The safest response is silence followed by hanging up.
Step 3. Hang up immediately — no need to be polite
Politeness gets exploited. Just hang up. If the caller calls back, do not answer. If they leave a voicemail, delete it. You owe a scammer no explanation. If they call from a number that looks local (the area code matches yours), that is called "spoofing" — the actual call could be from anywhere in the world. Local-looking numbers do not mean a local caller.
Quick 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.
Step 4. If you already shared your Medicare number, act fast
Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) right away and tell the operator your Medicare number may have been compromised. They will put a note on your file and watch for suspicious claims. Also log into MyMedicare.gov and review your "Claims" tab once a week for the next 90 days — if you see a service you did not receive, report it right away by clicking "Report fraud" on that claim. Medicare will investigate at no cost to you.
Warning
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.
Step 5. Set up a fraud alert on your credit
Some Medicare scams escalate to broader identity theft. Place a free fraud alert at one of the three credit bureaus — Experian (experian.com), Equifax (equifax.com), or TransUnion (transunion.com). Placing it at one bureau alerts the other two automatically. The alert lasts one year and is free. While you are there, consider a free credit freeze — this stops anyone from opening new credit in your name without your written permission, including criminals using stolen Medicare data.
Step 6. Report the call to the FTC and Senior Medicare Patrol
Two reports help shut down the operation. (1) FTC: go to reportfraud.ftc.gov and fill out a 5-minute form describing the call. (2) Senior Medicare Patrol: call 1-877-808-2468 or visit smpresource.org/help to find your state office. Both organizations share data with law enforcement. Even one report helps. Many reports about the same scammer can lead to arrests and seizures.
Quick Tip
Quick Tip: After reporting, your phone may get fewer of these calls because your carrier flags the number based on FTC data.
Step 7. Tell one other person today
These scams spread fastest through word of mouth — at the senior center, in church, at the grocery store. If you tell one neighbor or family member about today's wellness visit scam, you may save them thousands of dollars. The FTC found in 2025 that adults who hear about a scam from a friend BEFORE getting the call are 60% less likely to fall for it. You are the strongest part of your community's defense.
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.
Official sources
- FTC Consumer Advice — consumer.ftc.gov
- IdentityTheft.gov — identitytheft.gov
- CISA — Stop.Think.Connect. — cisa.gov
- Have I Been Pwned — haveibeenpwned.com
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