please read this email carefully.

Medicare Open Enrollment begins October 15.

Unfortunately, this is also a time when scams, misleading advertisements and attempts to obtain Medicare information become more common.

This year, I am particularly concerned because these scams are becoming much more sophisticated.

A fraudulent call may sound professional and patient rather than threatening. A website may look almost identical to a government website. An advertisement may use the Medicare name, familiar-looking graphics, or promise a benefit that actually exists, but leave out important details about who qualifies.

Artificial intelligence has made the problem even more difficult. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has specifically warned that AI can make telephone scams more convincing by helping criminals create realistic conversations designed to gain your trust. [1]

So please don't rely on whether something sounds legitimate.

Federal agencies are currently warning Medicare beneficiaries about several specific scams and misleading practices.

Be very suspicious if someone unexpectedly calls and tells you that:

• Medicare is issuing you a new card.
• Your card is expiring.
• You need to “activate” a new card.
• Your Medicare number needs to be verified.
• Your benefits could be interrupted unless you provide information.

A caller may already know your name, address, date of birth or other information. That does not prove the caller is legitimate.

Medicare says you should protect your Medicare number just as you would protect a credit card number. Medicare will not unexpectedly call you and ask you to provide personal or private information. [2]

If you actually need a replacement Medicare card, you can request one through your secure Medicare.gov account or by calling 1‑800‑MEDICARE (1‑800‑633‑4227).

You have probably seen these advertisements on television, Facebook, YouTube, websites or in the mail promising items such as:

• Grocery or food allowances
• Flex cards or utility assistance
• Over-the-counter allowances
• Dental, vision or hearing benefits
• Money added back to your Social Security check
• “Benefits you may be missing”

Here is where this gets confusing: Some of these benefits are real. Certain Medicare Advantage plans can offer supplemental benefits, including allowances delivered through cards, food benefits for qualifying members and reductions in the Medicare Part B premium.

However, these are not benefits that everyone on Medicare automatically receives. Availability, dollar amounts, eligibility requirements, geographic availability and other restrictions depend on the specific plan and individual circumstances. [3]

That makes these offers especially useful as bait to collect your Medicare information or encourage you to change plans.

If one of these advertisements interests you, call us. We can help you determine whether the benefit is real, whether you qualify, and whether it makes sense in the context of your existing coverage.

On September 28, the Federal Trade Commission issued a warning specifically for the 2026 Open Enrollment season.

Scammers and dishonest businesses can pay to have advertisements appear near the top of internet search results using official-looking logos and website addresses that look similar to a government website.

You may search for “Medicare,” click the first result and believe you are dealing with Medicare when you are actually dealing with a private sales company, or potentially a scammer.

The FTC recommends looking for the small “Ad” or “Sponsored” label and making sure you are actually visiting an official government website. [4]

The official Medicare website is Medicare.gov, and you can reach them directly at 1‑800‑MEDICARE (1‑800‑633‑4227).

There are strict rules governing how Medicare plans and representatives are permitted to market to you. According to Medicare, representatives generally may not:

• Come to your home uninvited to sell you a Medicare plan.
• Call you unless you are already a member or gave prior permission.
• Ask for financial information simply to provide a plan quote.
• Pressure you by claiming you will lose coverage if you don't enroll.
• Use misleading Medicare logos, words or images in advertising. [5]

You should never be enrolled in a Medicare plan without your permission. Medicare specifically instructs beneficiaries to call 1‑800‑MEDICARE if they believe they were enrolled in a plan without their consent or were misled. [6]

The FBI issued a specific national warning about hospice fraud on June 3, 2026.

Criminals have enrolled Medicare beneficiaries in hospice care even though the patient was not terminally ill, and in some cases enrolled people without their knowledge through offers of free housekeeping, meal delivery or gift cards. [7]

Your Medicare information can then be used by a fraudulent hospice provider to bill Medicare for unnecessary services, which can also disrupt your legitimate medical care.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General has warned about fraud involving durable medical equipment and supplies. [8]

These schemes frequently begin with an unsolicited call offering “free” back braces, knee braces, catheters or other supplies under the claim that “Medicare will pay for it.” The equipment is often unnecessary, never ordered by your doctor, or never delivered, while Medicare is billed fraudulently.

Another major warning sign is manufactured urgency. A caller, email or text may claim that your premium wasn't paid, your coverage will stop immediately, or you must provide banking information right away to keep your benefits.

Medicare's guidance is clear: If someone unexpectedly contacts you asking for information or money, or threatens to cancel your benefits, do not provide the information. Contact Medicare directly. [2]

If you receive a letter, email, text message, phone call or advertisement about Medicare and you aren't sure whether it is legitimate, please call our office before responding.

You can also take a picture or screenshot of an advertisement and send it to us.

We would much rather spend five minutes helping you verify that something is legitimate than have you discover later that someone obtained your Medicare number, changed your coverage or used your information fraudulently.

And if you have already responded to something and are now concerned, please reach out promptly. There is no reason to be embarrassed: these schemes are specifically designed to look authentic.

Please review your Medicare Summary Notices and, if you have a Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plan, your plan's Explanation of Benefits. Look for:

• Doctors or medical companies you don't recognize
• Medical equipment you never received
• Tests you never had
• Hospice services you never requested
• Other medical services you don't remember receiving

Medicare and the FBI both recommend reviewing these statements because unfamiliar charges can be an early indication that someone is using your information fraudulently. [6, 7]

If something doesn't look right, call us or contact Medicare directly at 1‑800‑MEDICARE (1‑800‑633‑4227).

Please feel free to share this email with a spouse, parent, family member or friend who receives Medicare.

Protecting your financial life also means protecting your personal information and your health care coverage. During Open Enrollment, we want you to be particularly careful.