Medicare 2026

Medicare Scams Spike Before Dec. 7 — How to Stay Safe

COLUMBIA, Tenn. — With Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period running October 15 through December 7, fraud reports are climbing again across Middle Tennessee. Scammers know this is the one stretch of the year when older adults expect calls, mailers, and TV ads about their coverage — and they use that noise as cover.

Columbia seniors face a wave of enrollment-season scams

The good news: nearly every scam this season follows a short list of patterns. If you know what those look like, you can hang up, throw the mailer away, and move on with confidence.

Why fall is prime time for Medicare fraud

Between October and early December, mailboxes fill up with plan notices, TV ads run nonstop, and legitimate agents make more calls than usual. Fraudsters blend in on purpose. The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), the federally funded program that helps beneficiaries spot and report fraud, sees complaints spike every fall — especially calls claiming to be from "Medicare."

Here's a rule worth taping to the fridge: Medicare will not call you out of the blue. It will not text you, show up at your door, or message you on Facebook. If someone contacts you first and claims to be from Medicare, it is almost certainly a scam.

The most common scams to watch for this season

"We need to verify your new Medicare card." There is no new card coming. Medicare is not reissuing cards for 2027. Anyone asking you to "confirm" your number to receive one is fishing for your identity.

The Part D drug cap "signup" call. The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. It applies automatically — there is nothing to sign up for, no fee, and no special form. If a caller says otherwise, hang up.

Free braces, genetic tests, or diabetic supplies. Callers offer "free" equipment or cheek-swab cancer screenings and ask for your Medicare number. Medicare then gets billed thousands of dollars for items you never needed — and your number is now compromised.

Door-to-door "Medicare advisors." Licensed agents are not allowed to show up at your home uninvited to pitch plans. That's a CMS marketing rule, not a suggestion. If someone knocks, you can politely close the door.

High-pressure "act today or lose coverage" calls. Real enrollment decisions never require a same-day answer. The deadline is December 7 — you have time to think, compare, and ask questions.

How to protect your Medicare number

Treat your Medicare number like a credit card. Only share it with:

• Your doctor, pharmacist, or hospital
• 1-800-MEDICARE (when you call them)
• Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselor
• A licensed agent you contacted first and chose to work with

Never give it out in response to an unsolicited call, text, email, or social media message. And check your Medicare Summary Notice or your MyMedicare.gov account every month for charges you don't recognize — that's often how fraud is first spotted.

What's actually changing in 2027 (so scammers can't confuse you)

Knowing the real rules makes fake ones easier to catch:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
• Coverage gap ("donut hole"): gone since 2025 — Part D now has three phases.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: an optional way to spread drug costs across monthly payments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA income surcharges: kick in above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31, for people already in an Advantage plan who want to switch once.

Columbia is in Maury County, where beneficiaries have a range of stand-alone Part D and Medicare Advantage options to compare through Medicare's Plan Finder. A SHIP counselor can walk through those choices with you at no cost.

What to do if you think you've been targeted

If you gave out your Medicare number, or you see a charge you don't recognize:

1. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). 2. Contact the Tennessee SHIP/SMP at 1-877-801-0044 for free, local help. 3. Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Reporting matters even if you didn't lose money — it helps investigators shut down the operation before it reaches your neighbor.