The “Free Medicare Kit” in Your Inbox Is a Scam

The messages vary, but some tell recipients they’ve been selected to receive a “2026 Medicare Health Kit” or a “Senior Health Package.”

The email may use MyChart logos and language that makes it look like an official healthcare communication.

The recipient is then directed to click a link and complete a short survey.

So far, nothing sounds particularly alarming.

Then comes the catch.

You’re asked to provide payment information for a small shipping fee.

That’s where the free gift turns into a scam.

Epic, the company behind MyChart, has published a warning about the campaign.

Its message is unusually straightforward:

MyChart does not hold giveaways.

An email claiming that MyChart is giving you a product is fraudulent.

Healthcare organizations including UC Davis Health and Penn Medicine have also warned their patients about the nationwide campaign.

And there’s another important point:

The MyChart system itself has not been compromised.

According to Epic, scammers are exploiting the familiarity of the MyChart name and logo rather than breaking into MyChart.

The scam doesn’t necessarily stop at the initial payment.

Reports cited by Becker’s Hospital Review describe victims being charged for the supposed shipping fee and then seeing an additional charge from an unrelated company.

The Federal Trade Commission has also received complaints involving MyChart scams, although the often-repeated figure of 166 complaints requires some context: those complaints span a five-year period and aren’t all attributable to this particular Medicare-kit campaign.

That’s an important distinction.

A real number is still misleading if we don’t explain what it actually represents.

The scammers aren’t just asking for money.

These messages can also be designed to collect personal information, payment information, passwords, or other credentials.

Penn Medicine warns that fraudulent MyChart messages may ask recipients to click links and provide personal information.

That’s potentially much more valuable to a scammer than a few dollars for shipping.

Don’t click the link.

Don’t complete the survey.

Don’t enter your Medicare number, MyChart password, credit-card information, or other personal information.

And don’t use the contact information contained in the suspicious message to verify it.

Instead, go directly to your healthcare provider’s official website or open your normal MyChart app.

If you’re still unsure, contact your doctor’s office or health system using a phone number you already know is legitimate.

There is a subtle distinction worth knowing.

Medicare really does send legitimate materials by mail. For example, people enrolling in Medicare can receive a Welcome to Medicare package containing information about their coverage and a Medicare card.

So the lesson isn’t “anything mentioning Medicare is fake.”

It’s this:

An unexpected MyChart email offering you a free Medicare kit is not a legitimate MyChart benefit.

This scam is a good example of why modern phishing is becoming harder to recognize.

The old scams were often full of obvious spelling mistakes and strange-looking emails.

Today’s versions can borrow the names, logos and language of organizations you already trust.

That’s why the question shouldn’t simply be:

“Does this look real?”

Ask:

“Was I actually expecting this?”

And if the answer is no, don’t click the tempting button just to find out.

A free Medicare kit isn’t worth giving a stranger your money—or your personal information.

Epic/MyChart and multiple healthcare organizations have independently warned about this phishing campaign. The campaign is documented; individual reports of financial loss vary, and complaint totals should not be interpreted as the number of victims of this specific campaign.

• MyChart — Staying Safe From Scams and Fraud
• UC Davis Health — Warning for MyChart users
• Penn Medicine — MyChart safety
• Becker’s Hospital Review — FTC complaints show scope of MyChart Medicare scam
• Medicare — Welcome to Medicare package