How to stop Medicare calls

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.

Dorota Martin

How do I stop Medicare scam calls?

In short, to stop medicare calls:

1. Don’t answer calls from Medicare.
2. Report the call as a scam or fraud.
3. Contact your local Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP).
4. Block Medicare scam calls with the help of your phone service provider.
5. Use cell-phone features to block Medicare phone scams.
6. Remove your phone number from the internet.

Let’s go through them one by one.

1. 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. 

2. 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.

To report Medicare-related phone scams, call 1-800-633-4227 or submit an online complaint to the Office of Inspector General of the US Department of Health and Services. 

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.” 

3. 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/.

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

Most phone service providers offer spam and scam filtering services (at extra cost) to reduce the number of telemarketing calls their customers receive. T-Mobile customers can buy access to its “Scam Block Protection,” Verizon provides a service named “Call Filter,” and AT&T offers the ActiveArmor mobile security app. Contact your service provider to find out what coverage they offer.

5. 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.

6. Remove your phone number from the internet

The most painstaking recommendation in this guide is also one of the most effective ones, shielding you from not only Medicare scams but many other scams and spam calls. 

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. Doing it on your own is possible but very time-consuming. It also has to be done regularly, as your phone number will usually reappear online, even after you take it down. 

You can also have others handle it for you. A data removal service like Incogni will send removal requests to over 168 data brokers on your behalf and will continue to do so regularly to keep your records clean.

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. 

What to do if you answered a call from Medicare scammers

If you answer a call from Medicare or someone pretending to be Medicare, don’t provide any sensitive information, such as your Social Security number, Medicare number, or bank account information. Instead, contact Medicare directly to verify if the call you received was legitimate.

If you suspect you’ve fallen victim to a scam attempt, report it to Medicare via phone or online.

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