BBB Warns of Scams During Healthcare and Medicare Enrollment Season

Wednesday, October 14th, 2026 -- 9:01 AM

If you are adding or changing your Medicare or Healthcare.gov coverage during open enrollment, watch out for unsolicited calls claiming to "help" you find the best deal.

Unfortunately, scammers see this open enrollment period as a chance to trick people out of money and personal information. Open enrollment for Medicare runs from October 15 through December 7 (Medicare).

Medicare Advantage open enrollment is from January 1 to March 31. Heathcare.gov open enrollment begins November 1; December 15 is the last day to enroll or change plans for coverage starting January 1, and January 15 is the last day to enroll for coverage starting February 1. 

How the scam works 

BBB Scam Tracker frequently receives reports of scam calls and texts pretending to be from Medicare. If you stay on the line, these callers allege they can enroll you in a better plan than what you currently have, according to Scam Tracker reports. This new plan is cheaper, and you can keep all the same services.

To get started, all you need to do is provide some personal information, such as your Medicare ID number and your Social Security number. No matter how good the deal sounds and how convincing the caller seems, don't do it! The call is a scam, and sharing personal information will expose you to identity theft.

Tips to avoid open enrollment scams

Selecting a health insurance plan can be challenging and complex. Be on the lookout for common red flags:

• Be wary of anyone who contacts you out of the blue. Healthcare.gov and Medicare provide legitimate help for determining which plan is right for you. These people — sometimes called Navigators or Assisters — cannot charge for their support. If someone asks you for payment, it's a scam. You will also need to contact them on your own. They will not call you first.  
• Guard your government-issued numbers. Never offer your Medicare ID number, Social Security number, health plan info, or banking information to anyone you don't know.
• Go directly to official websites. If you want to make changes to your healthcare plan, go directly to Medicare.gov, Healthcare.gov, or your employer's health insurance provider. Don't click on links in suspicious messages. 
• Be wary of free gifts and "health screenings." Keep a healthy level of skepticism any time a broker offers you free gifts or other special deals. Never sign up with a broker who offers you an expensive sign-up gift in exchange for providing your Medicare ID number or additional personally identifiable information. Other times, brokers may offer free “health screenings” to weed out people who are less healthy. This technique is called "cherry picking" and is against Medicare rules.
• Contact your employer directly. If you receive an unexpected email about benefits policies, ask your employer about it before you click on anything to make sure it's legitimate. 

For more information:  

If you are unsure whether a call or offer is from Medicare or you gave your personal information to someone claiming to be with Medicare, call 1-800-MEDICARE to report it. If you suspect fraud when signing up for ACA coverage, go to HealthCare.gov or call the Health Insurance Marketplace call center at 800-318-2596.

Get more tips from BBB on avoiding healthcare scams and learn the signs of impostor scams. If you've been the victim of a scam, please report it to BBB.org/Scamtracker. Sharing your experience can help others avoid falling victim to similar scams.

For more information or further inquiries, contact the Wisconsin BBB at www.bbb.org/wisconsin, 414-847-6000 or 1-800-273-1002. Consumers also can find more information about how to protect themselves from scams by following the Wisconsin BBB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.