Every fall, when Medicare Open Enrollment opens on October 15, two things pick up in Belton, Raymore, Harrisonville and the rest of Cass County: honest marketing from insurance companies, and dishonest calls from people pretending to be something they are not. The two can sound alike. This article is about telling them apart.
How the calls usually go
A typical scam call sounds official. The caller says they are “with Medicare” or “calling about your Medicare benefits.” They may know your name and your town. They create urgency: your card is expiring, your benefits are about to stop, you must act today. Then they ask for your Medicare number “to verify your account.”
That last step is the whole point. Your Medicare number is what they want. With it, they can bill Medicare for equipment and tests you never received. You may not notice until a Medicare summary notice shows items you do not recognize.
The one rule that protects you
Medicare.gov says it plainly: Medicare will never call you to sell you anything or visit you at your home. Medicare, or someone representing Medicare, only calls and asks for personal information in a few limited cases. Two examples are returning a call you made or following up on a fraud report you filed.
So the rule is simple. If you did not call them, do not give them your Medicare number. Hang up. If you are worried the call was real, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) yourself and ask.
Common scams we hear about locally
The “free flex card.” Someone offers a free card loaded with money for groceries or utilities, “from Medicare,” if you confirm your Medicare number. Medicare does not issue cards this way. Some Medicare Advantage plans do include a spending card as a plan benefit, which is where the scam gets its cover story, but no legitimate plan hands one out over the phone to a stranger who did not enroll.
The “new card” call. The caller says Medicare is sending new cards, plastic cards or chip cards, and needs to verify your number first. Medicare is not doing this. Your red, white and blue paper card is current.
The “verify your benefits” call. No product is offered. The caller just wants to confirm your number, your date of birth or your bank account “for your records.” There is no reason a real Medicare worker would need this from you by cold call.
The pressure pitch. A real licensed agent can call you only if you asked them to. A caller who says you must enroll today or lose everything is either not licensed or not following the rules. Medicare’s Open Enrollment runs until December 7 every year. Nothing legitimate requires a decision on the phone, right now.
The fake “Medicare office.” Mailers and websites that look like government notices but are really advertisements. Look for small print that says the sender is not connected with the federal Medicare program. Cole Insure’s own materials carry that notice too, because the law requires it of every private company.
What to do if you already gave out your number
Do not feel ashamed. These callers are professionals, and they practice all day.
- Call 1-800-MEDICARE and tell them what happened. They can watch your account for claims you did not make.
- Call the Missouri Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) at 888-515-6565. SMP is a federally funded program that helps people spot, report and recover from Medicare fraud. It is free.
- Read your Medicare summary notices (or your plan’s explanation of benefits) carefully for the next several months. Report anything you do not recognize.
- If you gave bank or card information, call your bank right away.
How to tell a real agent from a scammer
- A real agent gives you a full name, an agency name and a license you can look up with the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance.
- A real agent does not ask for your Medicare number until you have agreed to enroll in a specific plan.
- A real agent is fine with you hanging up and calling back later.
- A real agent never says they are “from Medicare.”
If you want a second opinion on a call, letter or offer, ask us. We will tell you honestly whether it looks legitimate, even if it is from another agency.
A word about this season
Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, for plans starting January 1, 2027. More mail and more calls are normal in these weeks. The scammers count on you being tired of it all and saying yes just to make it stop. Slow down. Nothing in Medicare has to be decided on the phone with a stranger.
What to do next
Keep this rule on your refrigerator: if you did not call them, do not give them your number. If something arrived in your mailbox or on your phone and you are not sure, call us first. Cole Insure is a local, independent agency, and there is no fee to ask us a question. We will tell you plainly what it is. You can also review your doctors and hospitals before the deadline, or book a free, no pressure review.