COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Medicare open enrollment begins on October 15, 2025, and officials are warning seniors about criminals who prey on people during this coverage review period.
WATCH: Medicare Scams Target Seniors During Open Enrollment - Red Flags to Watch For
Medicare provides federal health insurance to people 65 and older, making seniors especially vulnerable targets for impersonators.
The Colorado Senior Medicare Patrol reports that calls and messages from people pretending to be Medicare representatives increase significantly during open enrollment.
"Be aware that people are out there trying to take advantage," said Brandon Davis with the Colorado Senior Medicare Patrol. "They could use this period of [you] being able to change [your] plan to sort of do some Medicare fraud. So be vigilant."
Davis says the biggest red flags include someone calling you and claiming they're with Medicare, asking you to confirm personal information, and not identifying the company they represent.
The Medicare open enrollment period runs from October 15 through December 7.
Help is available for anyone feeling unsure about the process. Medicare representatives can walk you through the enrollment process and verify whether a call is legitimate.
The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers guidance through the open enrollment process. People with Medicare who are looking for assistance can call the national number for SHIP at (877)839-2675.
If you leave a voicemail, your local SHIP office will call you back. So the return call will come from a different number than the national one. If you ever receive a call that seems suspicious, hang up and call the official agency number directly to confirm you’re speaking with the right person before sharing any personal information.
Click here for the Colorado SHIP website.
This article was written by KOAA News5 Consumer Reporter Kierra Sam. Have a story? Send an email to kierra.sam@koaa.com.
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