Medicare 2026

Medicare Scams Ramp Up Before Dec. 7 in Hackensack

HACKENSACK, N.J. — As Bergen County seniors sort through Medicare mail this fall, scammers are working overtime. Federal investigators say complaints about Medicare fraud spike every year between October 15 and December 7, the Annual Enrollment Period, when older adults expect calls, texts, and door-knocks about their coverage. Knowing what a real Medicare contact looks like — and what one never does — is the best defense this season.

Why enrollment season is prime time for scams

Between October 15 and December 7, people with Medicare can switch, drop, or join a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. That means a lot of legitimate mail, TV ads, and community events — and a lot of cover for bad actors to blend in. In Hackensack, seniors often report a jump in robocalls, texts about "new 2027 benefits," and even people showing up at the door claiming to represent Medicare.

The rules are simpler than the scams make them seem. Medicare itself does not sell plans, and it does not cold-call you. Licensed agents are allowed to market plans, but they must follow strict CMS rules — including not showing up unannounced.

The most common enrollment-season scams

Here are the pitches Senior Medicare Patrol offices, including New Jersey's, have flagged most often:

• "We need to verify your Medicare number for your new 2027 card." There is no new card unless yours is lost or stolen. Your Medicare number should never be given to a stranger.
• Free gift or free medical equipment offers. Callers offer braces, genetic testing kits, or COVID tests in exchange for your Medicare number. The equipment often never arrives — but fraudulent charges do.
• "You'll lose your benefits if you don't switch today." High-pressure deadlines are a red flag. Real enrollment decisions can be talked through with family and a trusted counselor.
• Fake "Medicare advisor" home visits. Under CMS rules, agents cannot show up at your door without an appointment you set up first.
• Text messages with links. Medicare does not send enrollment links by text.

What Medicare will and won't do

Medicare communicates mostly by mail. It will not:

• Call you out of the blue to sell coverage.
• Ask for your bank account or credit card to "keep" your benefits.
• Threaten to cancel your Medicare.
• Send an agent to your home uninvited.

If any of that happens, hang up or close the door. You have not been rude — you have protected yourself.

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

Knowing the real rules makes fake ones easier to spot. For 2027:

• Part D out-of-pocket drug costs are capped at $2,100 per year.
• The Part D deductible cannot exceed $615.
• The old coverage gap, or "donut hole," is gone as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the calendar year in monthly installments, at no extra charge.
• IRMAA income-related surcharges kick in above $109,000 for a single filer.

These figures come from Medicare, not from any plan. If a caller quotes different numbers to pressure you into switching, that alone is a warning sign.

A Hackensack snapshot

Hackensack is in Bergen County, where Medicare beneficiaries have a wide range of Medicare Advantage and Part D options to compare during AEP. Having many choices is good news — but it's also why scammers target this area. The more mail and ads a household gets, the easier it is for a fake pitch to slip through.

For a plain-language comparison of what's actually offered in Bergen County, use the plan finder at medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24/7.

How to protect yourself and your neighbors

• Treat your Medicare number like a credit card. Only share it with your doctor, pharmacist, or an agent you contacted first.
• Write down the date, time, phone number, and what was said if you get a suspicious call.
• Check your Medicare Summary Notice or online account for charges you don't recognize.
• Report anything that feels off to New Jersey SMP at 732-777-1940 or the national SMP locator at smpresource.org.
• Get free, unbiased help from New Jersey's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), also called NJ SHIP, at 1-800-792-8820.

You will not get in trouble for reporting a suspicious call, even if it turns out to be legitimate. Investigators would rather look into ten false alarms than miss one real case.