Fake Medicare and Health Insurance Websites: How Older Adults Can Check an Offer Before Paying

• A polished website, government-style logo, or sponsored search result does not prove that a Medicare or health insurance offer is legitimate.
• Use Medicare.gov for Medicare plans and HealthCare.gov for Marketplace coverage, and start by typing the address yourself instead of clicking an unsolicited ad or message.
• If you shared your Medicare number, Social Security number, bank details, or credit card information, contact the appropriate official program quickly and report the suspected scam.

How fake Medicare and health insurance websites work

Fake insurance websites are designed to look reassuring. They may use government-sounding language, familiar logos, enrollment countdowns, or a web address that differs from the real site by only a few characters. Some begin with an online ad, while others are promoted through an unsolicited phone call, email, text message, or social media post.

The Federal Trade Commission’s Protecting Older Consumers 2025–2026 report describes deceptive marketing aimed at older adults, including websites and telemarketing operations that imitate government-sponsored insurance exchanges. In some cases, the offer may lead to a limited-benefit plan or a medical discount membership rather than comprehensive health insurance.

That distinction matters. A medical discount plan may offer reduced prices from selected providers, but it is not health insurance and does not replace Medicare, Medicaid, or comprehensive Marketplace coverage. A limited-benefit plan may also leave major gaps when someone needs hospitalization, specialist care, prescription drugs, or treatment for a serious condition.

The safest starting point is the official program

For people in the United States, Medicare and Marketplace coverage use different official channels. Medicare information and Medicare plan comparisons belong at Medicare.gov. Affordable Care Act Marketplace applications and plan comparisons belong at HealthCare.gov or a state Marketplace that the federal site identifies.

Do not assume the first result in a search engine is the official option. Scammers and aggressive marketers can pay for prominent advertising, and the FTC warns that a search result may lead to a site using similar words, colors, or logos without being affiliated with the government.

For Medicare, type Medicare.gov into your browser or call 1-800-MEDICARE at 1-800-633-4227. For Marketplace coverage, start at HealthCare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596. These routes let you verify coverage information without relying on the phone number or web address supplied by an advertisement.

Five checks to make before sharing information

1. Inspect the web address, but do not stop there

A genuine federal government website generally ends in .gov, but a familiar-looking address is not the only thing to check. Read the complete address carefully. Watch for extra words, hyphens, misspellings, unusual endings, or a domain that only mentions Medicare or insurance without being the official government site.

Even if the page looks authentic, leave it and enter the official address yourself. This avoids links that redirect you through tracking pages or fake enrollment forms.

2. Identify what is actually being sold

Ask whether the offer is Medicare coverage, a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, Marketplace insurance, short-term coverage, a fixed-indemnity product, or a medical discount membership. A salesperson who uses the phrase “government health benefits” without naming the specific program is not giving you enough information to make a safe decision.

Request the plan’s written benefits, exclusions, deductibles, provider network, prescription coverage, cancellation terms, and claims process. If the seller refuses to provide those details before payment, stop the conversation.

3. Be cautious with unexpected contact

Medicare does not call people at home to sell products, and Medicare representatives generally ask for personal information only in limited situations, such as returning a call you made or responding to a fraud report. An unexpected caller who says your Medicare card is expiring, your benefits will be canceled, or you must pay to keep coverage is using a classic impersonation tactic.

Marketplace representatives may contact consumers in specific circumstances, but you can still hang up and call the Marketplace directly to verify the request. The Marketplace will not demand payment to apply for or keep coverage, and you should not give an unsolicited caller your bank account or credit card number.

4. Never let urgency replace verification

“Enroll today,” “last chance,” “special senior rate,” and “your coverage ends tonight” are pressure tactics. Legitimate coverage has enrollment rules, but a trustworthy representative should allow you time to review written information and confirm the offer through an official channel.

Be especially careful when an ad promises cash, gift cards, free groceries, or other rewards for providing your Medicare or Social Security number. Those incentives can be used to collect personal information or steer people into products they did not intend to buy.

5. Verify the person offering help

Free, unbiased Medicare counseling is available through State Health Insurance Assistance Programs, commonly called SHIPs. SHIP counselors are not insurance salespeople, and they can help older adults and caregivers compare options, understand enrollment periods, and review plan questions.

Medicare and Marketplace scams are not identical

Knowing which program applies can prevent a common mistake: using the wrong website or giving information to someone who claims to represent both programs.

Medicare plan shoppers can compare plans by entering a ZIP code and, when appropriate, adding prescriptions and pharmacies to estimate costs. Marketplace shoppers should apply and enroll through HealthCare.gov or an official state Marketplace, then confirm the selected plan and coverage start date through the Marketplace account and the insurer.

What to do if you already paid or shared information

Do not wait for a scammer to contact you again. Write down the website address, phone number, name used by the representative, date and time, payment method, and information you disclosed. Save emails, screenshots, receipts, and text messages.

1. Contact the real program. If the matter involves Medicare, call 1-800-MEDICARE. If it involves Marketplace coverage, call 1-800-318-2596 and tell the representative that you suspect fraud or an unauthorized enrollment.
2. Contact your bank or card issuer. Ask whether the payment can be stopped, reversed, or disputed. If you provided online banking credentials, change the password and ask the financial institution whether additional protections are needed.
3. Report the scam. Report health insurance scams to the FTC and Medicare-related fraud to Medicare. Reporting helps investigators identify repeat operations and may help protect other consumers.
4. Check for identity misuse. Review Medicare statements, insurance notices, medical bills, and credit reports for accounts, services, or claims you do not recognize.
5. Use IdentityTheft.gov if personal information was misused. The federal recovery tool can create a personalized plan and an FTC Identity Theft Report.

A simple decision rule for older adults and caregivers

If the offer came to you unexpectedly, asks for sensitive information before giving clear written details, uses pressure, or directs you away from Medicare.gov or HealthCare.gov, do not enroll or pay during that interaction.

Instead, close the page or hang up, write down what happened, and restart the process through the official program. A family member or caregiver can help with the comparison, but the safest verification step is still an independent call or visit to the official service—not a number supplied by the person who made the offer.

Helpful Links

• FTC report on protecting older consumers – Read the Federal Trade Commission’s October 2026 report on fraud, deceptive marketing, and other threats affecting older adults.
• Medicare plan comparison – Compare Medicare health and prescription drug plans using your ZIP code, prescriptions, and pharmacies.
• Medicare fraud and abuse reporting – Learn how to report suspected Medicare fraud and review claims for errors or services you did not receive.
• HealthCare.gov fraud protection – Verify Marketplace enrollment sources, protect your information, and report suspected Marketplace scams.
• State Health Insurance Assistance Program – Find free, objective Medicare counseling for older adults, caregivers, and families.
• IdentityTheft.gov recovery steps – Create a federal recovery plan if someone misused your Medicare, medical, financial, or identity information.
• FTC health insurance scam guidance – Review warning signs and reporting steps for fake insurance, medical discount, and Medicare offers.
• Medicare.gov – Official page referenced in the article.
• HealthCare.gov – Official page referenced in the article.
• FTC Consumer Advice: Spot Health Insurance Scams – Official page referenced in the article.
• Apply for Health Insurance – Official page referenced in the article.
• Complete your enrollment & pay your first premium – Official page referenced in the article.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Does a website ending in .gov automatically prove that an insurance offer is legitimate?

A. No. A .gov address is a useful sign when you are visiting Medicare.gov or HealthCare.gov, but you should still confirm that you are on the correct official site and that the page is describing the coverage you need. A private website can use official-looking language without being a government service.

Q. Is a medical discount plan the same as health insurance?

A. No. A medical discount plan may reduce the price of selected services with participating providers, but it does not provide comprehensive insurance and may not cover hospitalization, major treatment, or all doctors and pharmacies.

Q. Can Medicare call me about my coverage?

A. Medicare may call in limited situations, such as returning a call you made, responding to a fraud report, or following up after you joined a plan. Medicare does not make unexpected sales calls or demand payment for a new Medicare card. When in doubt, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE yourself.

Q. What if a scammer used my information to enroll me in a Marketplace plan?

A. Contact the insurance company named in the enrollment notice and explain that you did not authorize the plan. Then call the Marketplace at 1-800-318-2596 to report suspected fraud and ask what steps are needed to protect your account and coverage.

Q. Can a caregiver verify a Medicare offer for an older family member?

A. Yes. A caregiver can help gather documents, compare plans, contact Medicare, or connect with a SHIP counselor. The older adult may need to provide permission before a representative can discuss private account details.