This article discusses scams that impersonate Medicare and, in one case, the MyChart patient portal. Medicare is a federal program; neither it nor MyChart’s private operator are involved in these scams. All brand names are trademarks of their respective owners. 

A call claims your Medicare benefits now qualify you for a better plan. A “licensed agent” can switch you over right now, no paperwork needed, just your Medicare number to confirm. It’s the single most common Medicare scam TrendLife has tracked so far this year, and it’s already circulating weeks before open enrollment even opens on October 15. Here are the 8 Medicare scams worth knowing before then, and how to tell a real plan change from a fake one. 

Scam activity is already climbing, weeks before enrollment opens 

TrendLife analyzed Medicare-themed SMS scam reports collected since March, and the pattern is clear: scam volume has been climbing for weeks, well before the Annual Enrollment Period opens. Weekly volume roughly doubled between the earliest and most recent weeks tracked, with the ramp starting 6 to 8 weeks ahead of the actual enrollment window. 

Most of these texts never use the words “open enrollment” at all. They lead with a benefit, a plan change, or a dollar amount instead, and the most common version of that pitch is a plan-switch or fake-agent lure: about 29% of all the Medicare-themed scam activity TrendLife analyzed. 

The 8 scams to know 

1. Plan-switch and fake agent calls 
   This is the one to watch most closely. A caller or texter claims to represent Medicare or a licensed agent, says you qualify for a better Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, and offers to switch you over on the spot, sometimes without ever sending anything in writing. There’s no separate, documented consent step, which is exactly the point: a real plan change always involves one. Victims often don’t find out until weeks later, when a pharmacy says a prescription isn’t covered or a doctor’s office says they’re suddenly out of network. 
   
   
2. Fake “new Medicare card” requests 
   Callers claim Medicare is issuing new plastic, chipped, or gold cards, and ask you to verify your Medicare number or pay a processing fee to receive one. There’s no such card rollout. Replacement cards are always free and mailed automatically, without you doing anything. 
   
   
3. MyChart Medicare Kit phishing 
   Texts and emails spoof the MyChart patient portal, offering a “free” Medicare kit to get you to click a link or reply with personal details. More than 40 health systems issued warnings about this exact wave last year. The link or reply is the whole scam. There’s no actual kit behind it. 
   
   
4. Free medical equipment offers 
   Calls or mailers offer a free back brace, wheelchair, or knee or wrist support, claiming Medicare Part B covers the full cost. The equipment rarely shows up. What does show up is a fraudulent Medicare billing claim using your Medicare number, for equipment you never ordered or received. 
   
   
5. Free genetic testing kits 
   You’re offered a free cancer or hereditary-disease screening kit and told Medicare covers it. To “send” the kit, they ask for your Medicare number first. Once they have it, scammers bill Medicare directly for the lab test, whether or not any real test ever happens. The kit itself often never arrives. 
   
   
6. Benefits cancellation threats
   A caller warns that your Medicare coverage is about to be cancelled unless you act immediately, then pressures you into giving up personal information or making a payment to “keep” coverage that was never actually at risk. 
   
   
7. Robocalls and official-looking mail 
   Ringless voicemails, texts, and mail labeled “Important Medicare Notice” or “Official Government Document” are built to look like something from a government agency. They’re designed to get you to call a number that connects to a scammer, not Medicare. 
   
   
8. “Flex Card” callback texts 
   A smaller but concrete example worth recognizing: a text promising a prepaid Medicare “Flex Card” worth up to a few hundred dollars a month, personalized with your name. 
   
   “Hi [first name], this is Healthcare Solutions. It’s Medicare open enrollment, and you could be eligible for up to a $300 monthly Flex Card. Call us to qualify .” 
   
   There’s no link, just a callback number. That’s deliberate: skipping the link helps the text dodge spam filters built to catch phishing links. 

Red flags 

You don’t need to know Medicare’s rules to spot these. The same handful of tells show up across every version. 

1. A “new” or “updated” Medicare card: Replacement cards are free and mailed automatically. No verification call is ever needed. 
   
   
2. Caller ID showing “Medicare” or a familiar number: Caller ID can be spoofed and isn’t proof of who’s actually calling. 
   
   
3. An unsolicited call, text, or email about your plan: Medicare only follows up if you contacted them first. 
   
   
4. A “free” genetic test, glucose monitor, or medical kit: Legitimate medical equipment isn’t marketed through unsolicited cold calls. 
   
   
5. An urgent letter or postcard about premium savings: Real plan comparisons come through SHIP or Medicare.gov, not urgent mail. 
   
   
6. Enrollment completed without a separate, clear confirmation step: Legitimate enrollment always involves documented consent. 
   
   
7. Repeat calls from different numbers after you’ve said no: A legitimate agent doesn’t need a new number to call back. 

How to stay safe 

1. Don’t give your Medicare number to an inbound caller. Medicare and real agents don’t need you to confirm it over an unsolicited call. 
   
   
2. Verify independently by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), using the number on your card, not one from the message. 
   
   
3. Go directly to MyChart or Medicare.gov rather than a link in a text or email. 
   
   
4. Get plan-comparison help through SHIP at shiphelp.org, which is free, instead of an unsolicited “agent.” 
   
   
5. Review your Medicare claims and statements regularly for services or equipment you don’t recognize, an early sign your number has been misused. 
   
   
6. Use Trend Micro ScamCheck to check a suspicious text or call-back number before you respond.
   
   
7. Report it. Report Medicare impersonation to 1-800-MEDICARE, then file at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. 

These scams are timed to arrive right when real Medicare mail, calls, and plan comparisons are already flooding in, which is exactly what makes them blend in. Even careful, tech-savvy people encounter them. If a call or text pushes you toward a plan switch or a kit you didn’t ask for, take a moment to verify it independently through 1-800-MEDICARE or SHIP before you agree to anything.