Medicare does not call you first — you call Medicare

Medicare will not call your home or cell phone to ask you to update your information. If someone calls claiming to represent Medicare and asking for personal details, Social Security number, bank account information, or Medicare number, it is a scam. Hang up when ready.

The real Medicare — run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) — only contacts you by mail about changes to your coverage, and only after you have initiated contact or your coverage has changed for a documented reason. If you need to update information with Medicare, you must call them, not the other way around.

Scammers impersonate Medicare because they know older adults have Medicare numbers tied to Social Security numbers and bank accounts. A single successful call can give a criminal access to your identity and your money. Learning the difference between a real Medicare notice and a scam call takes five minutes and can save you thousands of dollars.

Key Takeaways

  • Medicare never calls you unsolicited to ask for personal information, passwords, or account details — legitimate contact always comes by mail first.
  • Scammers posing as Medicare agents often claim you need to update information urgently, verify your identity, or confirm coverage changes to pressure you into giving information quickly.
  • Real Medicare contact includes a specific reason tied to your account, a way to verify the caller's identity, and never requests your full Social Security number or banking details over the phone.
  • If you receive a suspicious call, hang up and call Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) using the number on your Medicare card or official government materials.
  • Report suspected Medicare scams to the Office of Inspector General at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) or online at oig.hhs.gov.

What scammers say when they call

Medicare scam calls follow a pattern. The caller claims to be from Medicare, a Medicare plan, or a related government agency. They may say your coverage is about to end, your information is outdated, there is a problem with your account, or you are owed a refund. They create a sense of urgency — "we need this today" or "your benefits will be cancelled" — to pressure you into acting without thinking.

The caller then asks for your Medicare number, Social Security number, date of birth, bank account details, or credit card information. Some scammers ask you to confirm information they already have, which makes the call feel legitimate. Others claim they need to "verify" your identity before they can help you. None of this is how Medicare works.

A variation is the "robocall" — an automated message claiming to be from Medicare, often with a number to press or a callback number to call. These are always scams. Medicare does not use robocalls to contact beneficiaries.

How real Medicare contact actually works

When Medicare needs to reach you, they send a letter in the mail. The letter comes from an address you can verify, includes your name and a specific reason for the contact, and never asks you to call a number provided in the letter itself. If the letter says you need to take action, it tells you to call the number on your Medicare card or to visit Medicare.gov.

If you call Medicare yourself — which is the only way you should initiate contact — a representative may ask you to verify your identity by providing your Social Security number or Medicare number. This is normal and expected. But Medicare will never ask for your full Social Security number unprompted, will not ask for your banking information, and will not ask for your password to any account.

Medicare representatives also have a way for you to verify them. You can ask for their name, their employee ID number, and the specific reason for the call. You can then hang up, call 1-800-MEDICARE using the official number, and ask to speak to someone who can confirm that person's identity. A real Medicare employee will not be offended by this step.

Red flags that signal a scam call

Hang up when ready if the caller does any of the following: claims Medicare is calling you (rather than you calling them), creates pressure by saying your benefits will end or your account will be closed, asks for your full Social Security number without you having called them first, asks for your banking information or credit card number, asks for your Medicare password, or offers you a refund you did not request.

Also hang up if the caller cannot clearly explain why they are calling, if they refuse to give you their name and employee ID, if they get angry when you ask to verify their identity, or if they tell you not to hang up and call Medicare yourself. Legitimate Medicare representatives expect you to verify their identity and will help you do so.

Pressure and secrecy are the two biggest red flags. Real government agencies do not rush you into decisions, do not tell you to keep the call secret, and do not punish you for hanging up and calling back through an official number.

What to do if you receive a suspicious call

Hang up. Do not stay on the line, do not press any buttons, and do not call any number the caller provided. If you are unsure whether the call was real, hang up anyway — there is no penalty for being cautious.

If you need to reach Medicare, use the official number on your Medicare card or visit Medicare.gov directly. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). This is the only number you should use to contact Medicare by phone. Do not use a number from a call, a text message, or an email.

Report the scam call to the Office of Inspector General at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477). You can also report it online at oig.hhs.gov. Include the phone number the scammer called from, the time of the call, what they said, and any information you gave them. If you gave them your Social Security number, Medicare number, or banking information, also contact your bank and the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to place a fraud alert on your account.

If you already gave information to a scammer

Contact your bank when ready and tell them you may have been the victim of fraud. Ask them to watch your account for unauthorized charges and to cancel your debit and credit cards if necessary. Your bank can also help you place a fraud hold on your account.

Call the three major credit bureaus — Equifax (1-800-685-1111), Experian (1-888-397-3742), and TransUnion (1-800-680-7289) — and ask to place a fraud alert on your credit report. A fraud alert tells lenders to verify your identity before opening new accounts in your name. You can also place a credit freeze, which prevents anyone from opening accounts without your permission.

If the scammer has your Social Security number, you may also want to create an account on irs.gov and monitor your tax records, since scammers sometimes use stolen Social Security numbers to file fraudulent tax returns. You can also report identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission at identitytheft.gov.

How to protect yourself going forward

Never give your Social Security number, Medicare number, banking information, or passwords to anyone who calls you, even if they claim to be from a government agency. If you did not call them, do not give them anything. This is the single most important rule.

Be skeptical of any unsolicited call about your Medicare coverage, even if the caller sounds professional or has some of your information correct. Scammers can obtain partial information about you from data breaches or public records, which makes their calls sound more convincing. Having some of your information does not make them legitimate.

If you are unsure about a Medicare issue, call Medicare yourself using the number on your card. Do not rely on a number provided by someone who called you. If you receive mail that looks like it is from Medicare but seems suspicious, you can also call Medicare to verify whether they sent it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Medicare call me if I called them first and they are calling me back?

Yes. If you called Medicare and they said someone would call you back, a callback is legitimate. However, you can still ask the caller to provide their name and employee ID, and you can hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE to verify their identity before continuing the conversation.

What if the call is from my Medicare Advantage plan or prescription drug plan, not Medicare itself?

Your private Medicare plan (such as a Medicare Advantage plan or Part D prescription drug plan) may call you, but only if you have an existing relationship with them or if you called them first. Even then, they should not ask for your full Social Security number or banking information unsolicited. If you are unsure, hang up and call the plan using the number on your plan materials.

Is it safe to give my Medicare number over the phone if I called Medicare?

Yes, if you initiated the call to the official Medicare number (1-800-MEDICARE). Medicare representatives will ask you to verify your identity by providing your Medicare number or parts of your Social Security number. This is normal and expected when you call them. The key is that you called them, not the other way around.

What should I do if a family member gave information to a scammer?

Contact their bank and the credit bureaus when ready to place a fraud alert. Also report the scam to the Office of Inspector General. If your family member is on Medicare, you may also want to help them monitor their Medicare statements for unauthorized claims. Medicare statements are available online through your Medicare account or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.

Can I block these scam calls?

You can use call-blocking apps or your phone's built-in blocking features to block numbers that have called you before. However, scammers often use different numbers for each call, so blocking is not a complete solution. The best protection is to never answer calls from unknown numbers or to hang up when ready if the caller claims to be from Medicare.