Medicare 2026

Can a Medicare Agent Call, Text or Knock on Your Door? The Contact Rules Explained

If you've started looking into Medicare, you may have already noticed a steady stream of mailers, TV ads, and maybe a surprise phone call or two. That raises a fair question: what are agents actually allowed to do? Federal marketing rules draw clear lines around how Medicare Advantage and Part D plans — and the agents who sell them — can reach out to you. Knowing those lines helps you spot the professionals, hang up on the bad actors, and feel more in control of your choices.

What agents can't do without your permission

Federal rules bar Medicare Advantage and Part D plans and their agents from making unsolicited sales contact. In plain terms, that means they cannot:

• Knock on your door to pitch a plan.
• Approach you in common areas like parking lots, hallways, or lobbies.
• Send you unsolicited direct messages on social media.
• Cold-call you, send robocalls, text you, or leave voicemails.
• Call you because someone gave them your name as a referral.
• Call "just to confirm" you received a mailer they sent.

The rules also protect you in health care settings. According to Medicare.gov, plans and agents can't talk to you about a plan in places where you get care — such as an exam room, a hospital patient room, or the pharmacy counter.

Two more important protections:

• After a sales event: If you attended a seminar or sales presentation, the agent cannot call you afterward unless you specifically gave permission to be contacted.
• Long-term care settings: An agent can meet with a resident of a nursing home, assisted living facility, or similar setting only if the resident asked for the visit. An uninvited visit counts as prohibited door-to-door marketing.

Former members get breathing room too. If you leave a plan, that plan's agents can't call you to win you back; the only permitted outreach is a disenrollment survey.

What agents and plans can do

Not every contact is off-limits. Plans may reach out without a prior request through:

• Mail and other print media — the brochures and comparison charts that fill your mailbox each fall.
• Email, as long as every message includes an opt-out link or instructions.

A contact also stops being "unsolicited" when you invite it. For example:

• You call an agent, and the agent calls you back.
• You fill out a business reply card asking to be contacted.
• You give verbal or written permission to be called about specific plan options.

If you're already enrolled in a plan, that plan may call you about plan business — claims, benefits, renewal information, and so on. But at least once a year, the plan must tell you in writing that you can opt out of future plan-business calls if you'd prefer not to receive them.

How to tell a legitimate contact from a scam

A good rule of thumb: if you didn't ask for the call, the text, or the knock, it isn't allowed under Medicare's marketing rules. Hang up, close the door politely, or delete the message. Real agents will not pressure you, won't ask for your Medicare number out of the blue, and won't claim to be "from Medicare" or "from the government" — Medicare does not sell plans, and licensed agents represent private insurance companies, not the federal program.

To report suspected fraud or marketing violations, call 1-800-MEDICARE or contact your Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), a program that helps people recognize and respond to Medicare fraud.

Enrollment windows worth knowing

Even if you ignore every ad and phone call, you still have set times each year to make changes:

• Annual Enrollment (Open Enrollment) runs October 15 – December 7, 2026, with choices taking effect January 1, 2027.
• People with Medicaid or Extra Help have a monthly Special Enrollment Period, available since 2025, to move to Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D plan — or to switch stand-alone Part D plans. Full-benefit dual-eligible individuals can also join an integrated D-SNP in any month.

A quick, neutral word on coverage choices

Many beneficiaries weigh Medicare Advantage against Original Medicare paired with a Medigap policy and a stand-alone Part D plan. Both paths have real trade-offs — in network flexibility, out-of-pocket structure, extra benefits, referral requirements, and how costs are shared. There is no universal "best" option; the right fit depends on your health, budget, providers, and preferences. Comparing specific plans on Medicare.gov is the most reliable way to see what's available where you live.

A few 2027 program facts to anchor your planning

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap will be $2,400 in 2027 (it is $2,100 in 2026).
• The maximum Part D deductible any plan may charge in 2027 is $700.
• The Part D base beneficiary premium for 2027 is $41.33, a national figure used to calculate the Part D late-enrollment penalty; actual plan premiums are set plan by plan.
• The Social Security Administration announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for benefits payable beginning January 2027.
• The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, along with the IRMAA income brackets, have not yet been announced. CMS typically releases these figures in the fall — check Medicare.gov when they're published.

Where to go next

For official information, plan comparisons in your area, and help reporting marketing violations:

• Visit Medicare.gov.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24/7.

Knowing the contact rules isn't just about avoiding annoyance — it's about protecting your Medicare number, your time, and your right to make this decision on your own terms.