Michigan’s Department of Insurance and Financial Services and Department of Health and Human Services warned older adults on October 12, 2026 about scams and high-pressure sales during Medicare Open Enrollment, October 15 through December 7, 2026.
Their tips: protect your Medicare ID number, which you only need to give when enrolling in a plan; do not share it with unsolicited callers, even if they claim to be Medicare, because CMS will never call or send someone to your home; do not trust caller ID, and hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to verify; ignore anyone who says you must join a Part D drug plan or lose coverage, since Part D is voluntary; and beware of mailings that look governmental but come from private companies.
Report scams to Michigan Senior Medicare Patrol at 844-677-6424, the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team at 517-335-7599, or DIFS at 877-999-6442. Free counseling is available from MI Options at 800-803-7174. The release also notes that the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which spreads drug costs into monthly payments, now renews automatically each year unless the enrollee opts out.