Medicare scams and how to protect yourself
Medicare won't call you out of the blue asking for your number.
Your Medicare number is valuable to scammers, who can use it to bill Medicare for services or equipment you never received. Scams spike around Open Enrollment each fall.
Reviewed by Joshua H. Pannell, Licensed Insurance Agent (SC license #400481) ·
Red flags
- A caller says they're from Medicare and asks for your Medicare number, bank details or Social Security number. Medicare won't contact you for personal information unless you've given permission in advance.
- Offers of a new card, a refund or a benefit if you "verify" your number.
- "Free" medical equipment, genetic tests or braces offered by phone, online or at events.
- Pressure to decide or enroll immediately, or threats that you'll lose coverage.
- Unfamiliar charges on your Medicare Summary Notice or plan statement.
Protect yourself
- Treat your Medicare card like a credit card. Share the number only with your doctors, pharmacies, plan and people you trust.
- Hang up on unsolicited calls and call back using a number you look up yourself.
- Read every Medicare Summary Notice and plan statement for services you didn't get.
- Don't accept equipment or tests you didn't ask your own doctor for.
Report it
- Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048.
- Contact your state's Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) for free help reviewing and reporting suspected fraud; find it at smpresource.org.
- Report to the HHS Office of Inspector General.
Common questions
No. Replacement cards are free. Anyone asking you to pay for a Medicare card is running a scam.
Call 1-800-MEDICARE, watch your statements closely, and contact your SMP. In some cases Medicare can issue a new number.
Want help comparing your options?
Currently we represent 41 organizations which offer 397 products in your area. You can always contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE for help with plan choices.
Sources
- Medicare plan marketing rules, Medicare.gov. Checked September 29, 2026.
General information about the federal Medicare program, not advice about your situation. Figures are for 2026 unless stated and change every year; last reviewed September 29, 2026. Quote My Policy is a private company. Not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program.
Currently we represent 41 organizations which offer 397 products in your area. You can always contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE for help with plan choices.