Data as of November 12, 2026 · Florida · 16 min read
The phone rings during dinner. The caller ID shows a number that looks local, the voice is friendly, and the first sentence is some version of “I am calling about your Medicare benefits.” Every year, in the weeks before the December 7 deadline, calls like this reach Florida households by the thousands. Most people hang up. The ones who do not are the reason this article exists.
I am Vivian Soto, a licensed bilingual agent in Orlando. I would rather you read this once, now, than learn the rules from a bad phone call. Everything below comes from official pages that I read again today, and I tell you which page each rule comes from.
The short answer: Medicare does not call to sell you anything
There are two kinds of unexpected contact during Open Enrollment, and they need different handling. The first is a call, text, email or social media message that claims to be from Medicare and asks for a number or a payment. That is a scam, and the rules for it are simple. The second is a call from a person who really does sell Medicare plans and who was not invited to call. That one is harder to judge from your kitchen, which is why the safest habit is the same for both: you decide who you talk to, and you make the call.
Here are the five rules I give every household, each of them traced to an official page later in this article:
- Medicare does not call to sell you anything. The CMS fraud page says it plainly: “Medicare will never call you to sell you anything or visit you at your home.”
- Your Medicare Number is not for callers. Do not give your Medicare card, Medicare Number or Social Security Number to anyone except your doctor and the people who should have it.
- No plan by phone unless you called. CMS lists “join a Medicare health or drug plan over the phone, unless you called and asked for help” among the things not to do.
- Caller ID proves nothing. The FTC says: “Don’t trust your caller ID.”
- Report it. If you suspect fraud, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
If you remember only one line from this page, make it the second one. Almost every Medicare phone scam is trying to get one thing: the number printed on your red, white and blue card. With it, a stranger can bill Medicare in your name, and you may not find out until a statement arrives for a service you never received.
What Medicare and the FTC say, in their own words
I read two official pages for this section, and I quote them rather than paraphrase, because the exact wording is what protects you. The first is the CMS page titled “Reporting Medicare fraud & abuse.” The second is a consumer alert the Federal Trade Commission published on November 18, 2024, titled “Avoid scams during Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period.” The FTC alert is two years old, so I use it only for rules that are written as standing advice, and I label its date wherever I rely on it.
The table below puts the two side by side with the situation each rule answers.
| Situation | What the official page says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Someone calls and says they are from Medicare | “Medicare will never call you to sell you anything or visit you at your home.” Medicare, or someone representing it, calls for personal information only in limited situations, such as returning your call after you joined a plan, reported fraud or left a message | CMS, Reporting Medicare fraud & abuse |
| The caller asks for your Medicare, Social Security or bank account number | “Don’t give personal information to someone who contacts you unexpectedly and claims to be from Medicare.” Medicare will never unexpectedly call, email, text or message you on social media to ask for these numbers | FTC consumer alert, November 18, 2024 |
| A caller says you must pay for a new Medicare card | Medicare “sends its cards to you automatically for free,” and it will not try to sell you anything or tell you to pay for your card | FTC consumer alert, November 18, 2024 |
| A caller says there is a medical equipment claim you do not remember | The FTC says scammers may ask for your number this way because they want to file fake claims | FTC consumer alert, November 18, 2024 |
| Someone offers to enroll you in a plan over the phone | Do not “join a Medicare health or drug plan over the phone, unless you called and asked for help” | CMS, Reporting Medicare fraud & abuse |
| Someone offers money or gifts in return for medical care or your number | Do not “accept offers of money or gifts for free medical care” | CMS, Reporting Medicare fraud & abuse |
| The number on your caller ID looks official | “Don’t trust your caller ID” | FTC consumer alert, November 18, 2024 |
Source: CMS, Reporting Medicare fraud & abuse and FTC, Avoid scams during Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period (November 18, 2024). Accessed November 12, 2026.
Read the second row again. The FTC does not say “be careful” or “think twice.” It says Medicare will never unexpectedly contact you to ask for those numbers. That is a clean test. If the person who reached out to you is asking for a Medicare, Social Security or bank account number, you already have your answer, no matter how professional they sound.
There is one honest caveat, and CMS states it itself. Medicare, or someone representing it, does sometimes phone for personal information in limited cases: when they are returning a call you made, when you joined a plan, when you reported fraud, or when you left a message. The difference is that you started it. A call you were expecting because you asked for a call back is not the same as a call out of nowhere.
The phone call, step by step: what is real and what is not
Let me walk through the kinds of calls I hear about from clients, and how the official rules apply to each. I describe the patterns, not a specific script, because scripts change and the rules do not.
The “Medicare benefits review” call
The caller says they are reviewing your benefits, or that you are missing out on something you are owed. Under the official guidance, Medicare does not call to sell you anything, so a call that opens this way should end quickly. You do not have to argue and you do not have to be polite for long. “I do not discuss Medicare by phone with callers. Goodbye” is a complete sentence.
The “your card is being replaced” call
This one asks you to confirm your number, or to pay, so that a new card can be sent. The FTC’s point is direct: Medicare sends its cards automatically and for free. There is no fee to pay and no number to confirm. If you really do need a replacement card, the CMS page links to a separate page on what to do if your card is lost, stolen or damaged. You start that request yourself.
The “you qualify for extra benefits” call
Free groceries, a free tablet, a monthly allowance, a gift card. The CMS page says not to accept offers of money or gifts for free medical care. Some Medicare Advantage plans do include real extra benefits, and I explain them every day in my work. But a real benefit is written in a plan document that you can read before you enrol. It does not arrive as a surprise offer that disappears if you hang up.
The call that wants you to switch plans today
Here the rule is the third one in my list: do not join a Medicare health or drug plan over the phone unless you called and asked for help. If you did not start the call, and the caller is pushing you to switch now, end it. You can look at any plan next week, and nothing about the December 7 deadline requires a decision in the first minute of a call you did not expect.
Your Medicare number, your card and the “new card” call
Your Medicare Number is the key to your benefits, so it deserves the care you give your bank PIN. The CMS fraud page lists what not to do, and it is worth reading slowly:
- Do not give your Medicare card, Medicare Number, Social Security card or Social Security Number to anyone except your doctor, or to people who should have it, such as insurers acting on your behalf.
- Do not accept offers of money or gifts for free medical care.
- Do not allow anyone, except your doctor or other Medicare providers, to review your medical records or recommend services.
- Do not join a Medicare health or drug plan over the phone, unless you called and asked for help.
The same page gives a short list of things worth doing. You can check the receipts and statements you get from providers for mistakes and call the provider’s office about any incorrect charge. You can compare the dates and services on your own calendar with the Medicare statements you receive, to confirm that each listed service was actually received. And you can create a secure online Medicare account to review Original Medicare claims once they are processed, so you spot a mistake sooner.
If you already gave your number
I need to be honest about what the sources cover. The CMS fraud page does not give a step-by-step recovery plan for someone who already gave out a number. What it does give is where to report. So the list below combines that official reporting information with ordinary common-sense steps, and I mark which is which.
| If this is your situation | Where CMS says to report | Number |
|---|---|---|
| You suspect Medicare fraud of any kind | 1-800-MEDICARE, or the “Report Medicare Fraud online” option on the fraud page | 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) |
| You have a Medicare Advantage Plan or a Medicare drug plan and suspect fraud | The Investigations Medicare Drug Integrity Contractor (I-MEDIC) | 1-877-7SAFERX (1-877-772-3379) |
| Your Medicare card is lost, stolen or damaged | The CMS page “What do I do if my card is lost, stolen, or damaged?” | Linked from the fraud page |
| You are a victim of identity theft | The “Report Identity Theft” link on the fraud page, which points to identitytheft.gov | Linked from the fraud page |
Source: CMS, Reporting Medicare fraud & abuse. Accessed November 12, 2026.
From there, here is the order I suggest, again in my own words and not as quoted guidance. First, write down what happened while you remember it: the date, the number that called, what they said and what you gave them. Second, report it through the numbers above. Third, watch your Medicare statements and your bank statements for charges you do not recognise. Fourth, if you gave a bank or card number, call that bank or card issuer yourself, using the number printed on your card. Fifth, call me if the call was about a plan, because I can tell you whether you are enrolled in something you did not choose.
The enrollment calendar: how much time is left
Time pressure is the scammer’s best friend, so it helps to know how much real time you have. On the CMS “Joining a plan” page, the Open Enrollment Period is October 15 to December 7, and coverage that you choose starts January 1 of the next year. The page says the plan must get your request to join by December 7.
There is also a second, smaller window. Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs January 1 to March 31, and it is only for people who are already in a Medicare Advantage Plan. In that window you can switch to another Medicare Advantage Plan, with or without drug coverage, or drop your plan and return to Original Medicare. Your new coverage starts the first of the month after the plan gets your request.
| Window | Dates | Who it is for | What coverage start date applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Enrollment Period | October 15 to December 7 | Anyone with Medicare who wants to change a Medicare Advantage or drug plan | January 1 of the next year; the plan must get your request by December 7 |
| Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment | January 1 to March 31 | Only people already in a Medicare Advantage Plan | The first of the month after the plan gets your request |
Source: CMS, Joining a plan. Accessed November 12, 2026.
Now the arithmetic, which I did myself from those two dates. The Open Enrollment Period is 54 days long, counting October 15 and December 7 both. Today is November 12, so 29 of those days are behind us and 25 remain. The chart below shows that split.
Text equivalent: 54 days in total; 29 days used and 25 days left as of November 12, 2026.
How to tell a licensed agent from a stranger on the phone
This is the section I most want you to keep, because it answers the practical question: how do I know who I am talking to? The official pages do not give a checklist for agents, so what follows is my own practice, offered as such.
- You called, or you booked. The cleanest test is the one the official wording already gives: unless you called and asked for help. If you booked a call through a calendar or phoned an office, you know who is on the line.
- A real agent gives a name and a licence you can ask about. Mine are on this website: Vivian Soto, NPN 19183835, Florida licence W569405, in Orlando. You should expect any agent to say their name and be willing to repeat it slowly.
- A real agent never needs your Medicare Number to start. I can talk through your situation with your plan names and your doctors, and I only ask for numbers when you have chosen to go ahead.
- A real agent lets you hang up and think. If a conversation cannot survive a pause, it is not a conversation you want.
- A real agent can put things in writing. Plan documents, a summary and the dates in an email you can read at your own speed.
Florida and bilingual households: where the pressure lands
Florida has an enormous Medicare population and a very active insurance market, and Central Florida is no exception. I do not have an official figure for how many scam calls reach Orlando households, so I will not quote one. What I can describe is what I see in my own work, and what the rules mean for families who live between two languages.
In a bilingual household, the person who handles the mail and the phone is often an adult child or a grandchild who translates for a parent. Scammers know it. A call may start in Spanish and switch to English when the topic turns to numbers, or the reverse. The practical advice is simple and it works in either language: the person who answers the phone should know the five rules at the start of this article, and should feel free to say “we will call you back” without apologising.
If your concern is not scams but a prescription your plan is questioning, our Part D 2027 guide explains the drug plan changes that come up on real, legitimate pharmacy calls.
Frequently asked questions
Does Medicare ever call me to sell a plan?
No. CMS says Medicare will never call you to sell you anything or visit you at your home. Medicare, or someone representing it, calls for personal information only in limited situations, such as returning a call you made, after you joined a plan, after you reported fraud or after you left a message. If you are unsure about a call, hang up and call us at (407) 777-5046.
Can I join a Medicare plan over the phone?
CMS lists joining a plan over the phone among the things not to do, “unless you called and asked for help.” If you called our office or booked a call, we can go through your options by phone, video or the booking calendar, in English or Spanish.
What should I do if someone asked for my Medicare Number?
Do not give it. CMS says not to give your Medicare Number to anyone except your doctor or people who should have it, and the FTC says Medicare will never unexpectedly contact you to ask for it. If you suspect fraud, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), and tell us if the call was about a plan.
Is the caller ID a reliable way to tell who is calling?
No. The FTC’s November 18, 2024 alert says plainly: “Don’t trust your caller ID.” Use who you called, and who you booked, as the test. Vivian Soto’s office is reachable at (407) 777-5046.
Will I be charged for a new Medicare card?
No. The FTC says Medicare sends its cards automatically for free, and Medicare will not tell you to pay for your card. A caller who asks you to pay, or to confirm a number, is not Medicare. Vivian Soto can check any call with you.
When does Open Enrollment end?
On December 7, 2026. CMS says the Open Enrollment Period is October 15 to December 7, and that for coverage starting January 1 the plan must get your request to join by December 7. We can help you decide well before then.
Where do I report a Medicare scam?
CMS says to call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), or use the Report Medicare Fraud online option. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan or a drug plan, you can also call the Investigations Medicare Drug Integrity Contractor at 1-877-7SAFERX (1-877-772-3379). Then call Vivian Soto if you want help checking which plan you are in.
How I handle this on my own calls
When someone phones my office worried about a call they received, I do not start with plans. I start with what happened. Who called, when, from what number, what did they ask for, and did you give them anything. Most of the time the answer is that the person hung up, and I tell them they did the right thing. Occasionally it is the other answer, and then we move through the steps above together.
When someone calls me for the first time about a plan, I tell them up front what I will and will not ask. I will ask what plan they have today, which doctors they see, which medicines they take and what they pay now. I will not ask for a Medicare Number until they have decided to go ahead. That is deliberate. It means that the first call can never be mistaken for the kind of call this article warns about.
I work in English and Spanish, by phone, by video or through the booking calendar, and I would rather spend twenty minutes making sure you understand your coverage than ten minutes getting you to agree to something. If you are reading this because a call frightened you, call or book, and bring the plan names and the dates. We will go through it together.
Sources and references
- CMS. Reporting Medicare fraud & abuse. Accessed November 12, 2026: Medicare will never call to sell you anything; do and do not lists; 1-800-MEDICARE; I-MEDIC 1-877-7SAFERX.
- Federal Trade Commission. Avoid scams during Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period (published November 18, 2024). Accessed November 12, 2026: do not trust caller ID; free automatic cards; fake equipment claims.
- CMS. Joining a plan. Accessed November 12, 2026: Open Enrollment October 15 to December 7; Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment January 1 to March 31.
- CMS. Compare Original Medicare & Medicare Advantage. Accessed November 12, 2026: prior authorization and plan rules in Medicare Advantage.
- CMS. Drug plan rules. Accessed November 12, 2026: prior authorization, step therapy and exceptions.
This article is educational and is not individual insurance advice. Plans, premiums, networks, service areas and enrollment rules vary by county and change each plan year; confirm details with the plan, on the official pages cited above, or with a licensed agent before making a decision. VS Healthcare Solutions is an independent insurance agency licensed in the state of Florida.
