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How to stop Medicare calls – A No-Nonsense Guide

The majority, if not all, of the Medicare calls you’ll ever receive will be scam calls.

That’s because Medicare doesn’t call its beneficiaries unsolicited. Medicare scams are a widespread problem. To the point that a dedicated association and the Medicare Fraud Prevention Week have been established to raise awareness about the problem and help 65+ year-olds protect themselves. 

In this guide, we’ll give you six actionable recommendations to reduce or completely eliminate Medicare scam calls.

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Dorota Martin

Table of Contents
Get on the National Do Not Call List (It Helps, But It’s Not Perfect)
Don’t answer calls from Medicare
Report the call as a scam or fraud
Block Medicare scam calls with the help of your phone service provider
Download a Call-Blocking App
Use cell-phone features to block Medicare phone scams
Remove your phone number from the internet
How to identify a Medicare scam call
Common Medicare scams to look out for
More guides on how to stop spam:

Get on the National Do Not Call List (It Helps, But It’s Not Perfect)

The Do Not Call Registry is the first step. It won’t stop scammers, but it does prevent legitimate Medicare providers from cold-calling you.

Register your number at www.donotcall.gov.

Legit companies follow the law. Scammers? Not so much. That’s why we need more tools.

Don’t answer calls from Medicare

Again, Medicare doesn’t usually make calls. The only two reasons why you might get a call from Medicare are:

  • You called them first and asked for a call-back or
  • You’re already a Medicare member, in which case you might get a call from the same agent who helped you join.

If you didn’t ask for a call-back, and if you don’t recognize the number as that of your Medicare agent, then the call labeled “Medicare” on your screen is a scam call. Picking it up will increase your chances of being targeted in the future, as scammers will note that you’re likely to answer again. This is why we recommend that you let the call ring out. This way, you won’t get enrolled in future Medicare scam campaigns. 

What to do if you answered a call from Medicare scammers

If you answer a call from Medicare or someone pretending to be Medicare:

  1. don’t provide any sensitive information, such as your Social Security number, Medicare number, or bank account information.
  2. Tell them directly: Say, “Put me on your Do Not Call list.” They are legally required to comply.
  3. Contact Medicare directly to verify if the call you received was legitimate.

Report the call as a scam or fraud

Medicare staff are well aware of the prevalence of scam calls that pretend to represent them. That’s why Medicare created a scam-prevention guide on its website and suggests two ways to report scam calls.

  • Medicare Fraud Hotline: Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and report suspicious calls.
  • Office of Inspector General (OIG): File a complaint at oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud.
  • FCC Complaint Portal: If you’re getting robocalls, report them to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov.
  • If you suspect the scammer has committed fraud using your Medicare number or other health-related information, you can file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. To do so, go to https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ and click “report now.” 

Contact your local Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP)

Senior Medicare Patrols were created to help Medicare beneficiaries, families, and caregivers prevent, detect, and report healthcare fraud, errors, and abuse. It’s a volunteer-based project, grant-funded by the US Administration for Community Living, that provides a wealth of information on how to avoid Medicare fraud. There is an active SMP in almost every state. To find or join your local one, visit this website: https://smpresource.org/contact-us/.

Block Medicare scam calls with the help of your phone service provider

Most major phone carriers offer free tools to help filter out spam calls:

  • T-Mobile Scam Shield
  • AT&T Call Protect
  • Verizon Call Filter

These services use AI to detect and block robocalls before they even reach you.

Download a Call-Blocking App

If carrier services aren’t enough, third-party apps can help:

  • Nomorobo (works well with landlines too)
  • Hiya (integrates with Samsung phones)
  • RoboKiller (uses AI to predict scam behavior)

We came up with a list of four spam-blocking apps that passed our minimum privacy requirements. Read more:

Use cell-phone features to block Medicare phone scams

You can block phone scammers on your mobile phone and prevent them from calling you again. Both Android and iOS phones offer call-blocking features. Read on for detailed instructions.

If you have an iPhone:

  • Tap the phone app.
  • Tap the little “i” icon next to the number you want to block.
  • Scroll down and tap “block caller.”
  • When prompted, tap “block contact.”

On an Android phone:

  • Go to the phone app.
  • Tap the number you want to block. A menu will appear below.
  • Tap the “i” icon. You’ll be taken to a new page.
  • Tap “block” in the bottom-right corner.
  • A pop-up will appear, tap “block” again.

Remove your phone number from the internet

Scammers have to get your number from somewhere before contacting you. Usually, they find it on the internet, either on social media profiles where you might have left it yourself, or on people search sites or, worse still, private databases where your phone number was sold together with millions of others for a couple of dollars.

That’s why one of the best ways to fight unwanted calls is to remove your personal information from the internet.

How to identify a Medicare scam call

Medicare scam calls come in all shapes and sizes, but they have several things in common: 

  1. The incoming call will be labeled “Medicare,” or the caller will say that they represent Medicare, even though you didn’t ask Medicare to call you back.
  2. At some point, the caller will ask for your personal details, including your Medicare card number or Social Security number. You should never provide this information to them. Instead, you can end the conversation and call Medicare back.
  3. The scammer will try to sell you something or offer free services. These may include free genetic testing, medical supplies, or an upgraded Medicare plan.

Below, we list the most common Medicare scams to help you quickly recognize them.

Common Medicare scams to look out for

As Medicare is a health insurance provider for people over 65, the scammers behind Medicare calls exploit seniors’ lack of up-to-date tech skills to gather personal information and later commit fraud. 

Medicare scammers constantly come up with new ways to trick people into giving up their personal information. Here are some of the most recent Medicare scam approaches:

Medicare card delivery

“Medicare representatives” call you to verify your Medicare card number before a new one can be sent. This is an unsolicited Medicare call asking for a Medicare card number. Two red flags—it’s best to hang up and report it.

COVID-19 free testing

In this scam attempt, the scammer will offer you free COVID-19 services at your door to get a hold of your Medicare card number. They will later bill Medicare for these services.

Prescription drugs scams

A medical prescription phone scam involves fraudsters calling you to offer discounted prescription drugs. This way, they can steal your personal information or obtain payment for medications that are never delivered. 

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