Medicare Supplement

Medicare Fraud Warning: Protect Yourself Before Dec. 7

PROVO, Utah — With Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period running now through December 7, phones across Utah County are ringing again. Some of those callers are legitimate. Many are not.

Provo Seniors Face a Familiar Fall Threat: Enrollment Scams

Every fall, the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) sees a spike in scam attempts timed to enrollment season. Fraudsters know older adults are expecting to hear about plan changes for 2026 — including the new $2,100 out-of-pocket cap on Part D drug costs — and they use that confusion as cover. Here is what Provo-area readers should watch for, and how to push back.

Why Scammers Target Open Enrollment

The Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) is the one window each year when most people can change their Medicare drug or Advantage coverage. That predictability makes it a goldmine for criminals.

Two things are different heading into 2026, and scammers are leaning on both:

• The $2,100 Part D cap. Because this is a real, newsworthy change, fraudsters are using it as a hook — claiming you must "re-enroll" or "verify" your card to get the new benefit. You do not. The cap applies automatically to Part D coverage.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This new optional program lets you spread drug costs across the calendar year. Scammers are pitching fake "sign-up fees" or asking for banking details to "activate" it. Enrollment is free and goes through your drug plan.

The Scams Showing Up Right Now

Based on SMP and Medicare.gov fraud alerts, these are the pitches most likely to reach a Provo landline or inbox this fall:

• The "new Medicare card" call. Someone claims cards are being reissued for 2026 and asks you to confirm your Medicare number. Medicare is not reissuing cards. Your number is as sensitive as a Social Security number.
• Door-to-door "agents." Licensed agents are not allowed to show up at your home uninvited to sell Medicare Advantage or Part D plans. That is a CMS marketing rule, not a suggestion.
• Free gift or gift-card offers. Meals, gas cards, or cash in exchange for hearing a plan pitch or handing over your Medicare number — not allowed under Medicare marketing rules.
• Fake government callers. Real Medicare will not call you out of the blue to enroll you, threaten to cancel your benefits, or demand payment by gift card, wire, or cryptocurrency.
• "Free" braces, genetic tests, or diabetic supplies. Equipment scams remain one of the most common Medicare fraud categories nationwide.

How to Tell a Real Call From a Scam

A few plain rules that hold up almost every time:

1. Medicare already has your Medicare number. If a caller asks for it, that is your answer. 2. No one legitimate will pressure you to decide today. You have until Dec. 7 to make Part D and Medicare Advantage changes, and until March 31 for the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. 3. Hang up and call back using a number you trust — 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or your plan's number from your own card or paperwork. 4. Do not click links in unexpected texts or emails that claim to be from Medicare or Social Security.

What Provo Residents Should Know About Local Choices

Provo is in Utah County, where Medicare beneficiaries have a wide range of stand-alone Part D and Medicare Advantage plans available for 2026. Plan availability, networks, and formularies are set at the county level — not by city — so any comparison you do should be run using your ZIP code on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder, which pulls the official Utah County list.

Sticking with official tools is also the single best fraud defense. If a plan or benefit is not shown on Medicare.gov or in your plan's official Annual Notice of Change, treat outside claims about it skeptically.

If You Think You've Been Targeted

You do not have to be certain fraud happened to report it. Suspicious contact is worth flagging.

• Utah Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP): 1-800-541-7735. Free, confidential help investigating suspected Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse.
• Utah SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program): Free, unbiased Medicare counseling — not tied to any insurance company.
• 1-800-MEDICARE: For billing questions, plan questions, or to report fraud directly to CMS.
• Check your Medicare Summary Notice or your online account at Medicare.gov for charges you don't recognize.