🛡️ Medicare Open Enrollment Scams — "Your Plan Is Changing, Call Now"

"Hi, this is Dave with Medicare Benefits. Your current plan is being discontinued for 2027 and I need to switch you to the new one today — can I have your Medicare number to confirm your enrollment?"

If you are on Medicare, you will hear versions of this call every October through December. Medicare's open enrollment period — October 15 through December 7 — is the one time of year when millions of seniors change plans, ask questions, and genuinely expect phone calls about their coverage. Scammers know this, and they treat it like their busy season.

The Federal Trade Commission and the FBI have both flagged open enrollment as one of the peak windows for Medicare fraud against older Americans. The playbook is always the same: sound official, create urgency, and get your Medicare number before you have time to think. Once a thief has your Medicare number, they can bill the government for treatments you never received — a form of fraud that costs taxpayers billions and can tangle up your real medical records.

This guide walks through exactly how these scams work, what the real Medicare does and doesn't do during open enrollment, and the simple rules that keep you safe.

Why open enrollment is scammer season

Three things make October, November, and early December a perfect hunting ground:

1. You expect plan talk. TV commercials, mailers, and phone calls about Medicare flood every senior household. One more "helpful" caller doesn't stand out.
2. Decisions feel urgent. The December 7 deadline is real — your new coverage starts January 1. Scammers exploit that pressure: "Enroll today or lose your benefits."
3. Confusion is normal. Plans, premiums, drug formularies, and doctor networks change every year. When even the honest mail is confusing, the fake call sounds just as believable.

The scammers are not guessing. Many buy cheap lists of senior phone numbers, and robocall technology lets one person dial tens of thousands of households a day.

How the scams work — the five scripts to recognize

1. The "your plan is discontinued" switch

The caller claims your current Medicare plan is ending and they are "required" to move you to a new one immediately. They are polite, they use your first name, and they pressure you for your Medicare number to "complete the transfer." There is no transfer. They are harvesting your number to bill fake claims in your name. Real plan changes never happen by surprise phone call, and you are never forced to switch on the spot.

2. The "free benefits you are missing" pitch

Versions of this one dangle free groceries, free dental, free hearing aids, or a free flex card "now available under the new Medicare rules." Medicare Advantage plans do advertise extra benefits honestly — but the scam version asks for your Medicare number, Social Security number, or bank details before you ever see real plan documents. Rule of thumb: free benefits never require you to hand over your Medicare number to a stranger on the phone.

3. The "verify your information" robocall

A robocall says it is Medicare or Social Security and asks you to press 1 to verify your identity, confirm your address, or avoid losing coverage. Pressing 1 connects you to a live scammer who collects your details. Legitimate Medicare does not verify identities through robocalls.

4. The "Medicare agent" who visits your door

Door-to-door Medicare sales are against Medicare's own marketing rules. Any agent who shows up uninvited at your home to sell you a plan is either breaking the rules or running a scam — sometimes both. Legitimate agents only visit if you invited them.

5. The lookalike mailer and fake website

Professional-looking mail and websites with names like "Medicare Enrollment Center" or "National Medicare Helpline" push you to call a number — which routes to scammers. Real Medicare's website is medicare.gov, and real plan mail comes from plan names you recognize.

What the REAL Medicare does during open enrollment

Knowing what is normal takes away the scammer's power. Here is what legitimate open enrollment looks like:

• You initiate contact. You call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), visit medicare.gov, or talk to a licensed agent you chose. Nobody legitimate cold-calls you about switching plans.
• Your plan notifies you by mail. Every September, your plan sends an "Annual Notice of Change" letter explaining what changes January 1. It comes in an envelope, not a phone call.
• No pressure, no deadlines-by-phone. You can compare plans at your own pace all the way to December 7. Anyone saying "decide today or it's gone" is lying.
• Your Medicare number is never required to "hear about" a plan. Shopping for plans is free and information-only. Your number is only given when you actually enroll in a plan you selected.
• Free, unbiased help exists. Every state has SHIP counselors (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) — free, local, unbiased Medicare help. Find yours at shiphelp.org or call 1-800-677-1116. They will never sell you anything.

The one rule that stops every version

Never give your Medicare number to someone who contacted you first. Not to a caller, not to a text message, not to a friendly visitor at your door, not to a website you found through a random ad. Treat your Medicare number like your bank PIN — it only leaves your hands when you start the conversation with a number or website you looked up yourself.

Red flags — hang up or delete when you see these

• "Your plan is being discontinued and I must switch you today"
• "You're eligible for free groceries / free dental / a free flex card — just confirm your Medicare number"
• Threats that you'll "lose your benefits" or "lose coverage" if you don't act now
• Requests for your full Social Security number, bank account, or Medicare number over the phone
• Callers who get pushy, rude, or keep calling back after you hang up
• "Medicare agents" at your door who arrived uninvited
• Websites with official-sounding names that are NOT medicare.gov
• Promises of benefits that sound too generous — free everything, no cost, cash back

What to do if they already called (or already have your number)

1. Just hang up. You owe a scammer nothing — no explanation, no goodbye. Hang up, then block the number if your phone allows it.
2. Never call back. Curiosity is how they keep you on the line. If you're worried about your real plan, call 1-800-MEDICARE using the number from medicare.gov — never the number the caller gave you.
3. If you already gave your Medicare number: call 1-800-MEDICARE right away and report it. Check your Medicare statements (also at medicare.gov) for charges you don't recognize, and consider asking for a new Medicare number. You can also place a free fraud alert with the credit bureaus.
4. Report it. FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and the Senate Aging Committee's fraud hotline at 1-855-303-9470. Reporting helps protect the next senior on their list.
5. Tell a friend. Seniors who hear about these scams from someone they trust are far harder to fool. Forward this guide to someone you care about.

Sources: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (medicare.gov); Federal Trade Commission; FBI IC3 2025 Annual Report; State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (shiphelp.org). Last updated October 2026.