The FTC warned on September 28 that health insurance scams pick up every year around Open Enrollment, when millions of people review or change their coverage. Scammers impersonate Medicare, the HealthCare.gov Marketplace and licensed insurance brokers. They reach people through unsolicited calls, texts and emails, and through look-alike websites that copy official logos and page designs — some placed at the top of search results with paid ads. The goal is to sell fake plans that are "not health insurance" at all, or to collect Medicare numbers and personal details for medical identity theft.
Older adults are the main target. AARP's Fraud Watch Network says some Medicare beneficiaries are getting more than a dozen of these calls a day, even with their number on the Do Not Call Registry. Common pitches include "confirming" a Medicare number, offering a new or "upgraded" Medicare card, promising free gifts, genetic tests or medical equipment, and fake "Medicare kit" texts and emails. Medicare's annual enrollment period opens October 15, so expect volume to keep rising through the fall.
Medicare's annual enrollment period runs from October 15 to December 7, and HealthCare.gov's Open Enrollment follows on November 1. Scammers time their calls and ads to the weeks when people expect to hear about their coverage, so a call about your plan doesn't feel unusual. A stolen Medicare number can be used for fraudulent billing for years and is harder to replace than a credit card.
▶ How to Protect Yourself
- Medicare will not call, text or email you to confirm your Medicare number. If anyone asks for it, hang up — Medicare already has it.
- Go straight to the official sites by typing them yourself: Medicare.gov or 1-800-633-4227, and HealthCare.gov or 1-800-318-2596. Check that the web address ends in .gov before entering anything.
- Be wary of search results. Paid ads appear above real results; look for the "Sponsored" or "Ad" label and skip them.
- Get free, unbiased help from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Report Medicare fraud to the Senior Medicare Patrol or 1-800-MEDICARE, and report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Help an older relative by reviewing their Medicare statements together and telling them it's always fine to hang up and call back on the number on their card.