Medicare's open enrollment period is winding down, but scams aimed at those eligible to enroll are still ramping up.
In Arizona, nearly 1.5 million people are eligible for Medicare coverage. That means there's a large pool of potential victims for scammers to target.
Medicare enrollment scams can take several different forms:
- Fake Medicare Advisors: Beware of anyone who shows up or if you receive an unsolicited call from someone offering you free services or asking for your Medicare information. There are no Medicare representatives and Medicare does not cold call. Also, watch out for people who promise you a gift for enrolling in a certain plan - it's illegal!
- Medicare card replacement scams: Someone may call claiming to be from Medicare, the Social Security Administration, or Arizona's state insurance department and insist you need to get a new Medicare card or replacement. This scam has been circulating since 2018 when Medicare sent beneficiaries new cards with randomly generated ID numbers to better protect against identity theft. Impostors may ask to confirm your card number to "activate" it or say you need a new card.
- Supplemental coverage scams: Watch out for anyone acting as a "sponsor" trying to sell you extra coverage. It's a red flag if someone tries to charge an enrollment fee, asks for the contact information of your friends and family members, offers gifts to entice you to enroll in a specific plan they're selling, or contacts you outside of normal business hours.
Take steps to protect yourself:
- Treat your Medicare card like a credit card and do not give out the number or other personal information.
- Contact your local Senior Medicare Patrol Office if a call feels suspicious before giving out information.
- Trust your gut. If you don't know a number, let it go to voicemail and if a call seems suspicious, hang up!
Medicare open enrollment runs until December 7. The Federal Trade Commission has more tips to protect yourself online.
