You Searched for Medicare. Did You Find Medicare—or a Scammer Who Paid to Get There First?

You're comparing Medicare plans during open enrollment. You type "Medicare enrollment" into Google.

At the top is a polished ad promising to help you find the right plan. It uses Medicare terminology, perhaps a government-style logo, and a phone number for someone who says they'll help you enroll.

You click. You may not have reached Medicare at all.

In September 2026, the Federal Trade Commission warned that scammers and dishonest businesses sometimes pay to appear at the top of search results during health-insurance open enrollment. They may use lookalike web addresses, official-looking logos, and carefully chosen keywords to make you think you're dealing with Medicare.gov or HealthCare.gov.

Follow the ad's link or call its number, and you could end up paying for a product that isn't health insurance, sharing sensitive personal information, or exposing yourself to medical identity theft.

The FTC issued a similar warning in June 2026, describing a case it settled with MediaAlpha involving misleading health-insurance advertising and websites that impersonated government services.

Paying to appear first doesn't make a business legitimate, trustworthy, or endorsed by the government.

Not every private insurance website is a scam. Licensed agents and brokers can legitimately sell Medicare plans. The problem is deception: making a commercial service look like Medicare or misleading people about what they're buying.

Don't rely on a search ad to find an official government service. Go directly to the source.

• Medicare: Type https://www.medicare.gov/ into your browser, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
• Marketplace health insurance: Visit https://www.HealthCare.gov/ or call 1-800-318-2596.
• Free Medicare counseling: Contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) or local Senior Medicare Patrol. You can find assistance through Medicare.gov.

If you search online, look for the small "Ad" or "Sponsored" label and scroll past paid placements. Check the web address carefully.

A .gov address identifies an official U.S. government website. A .com or .org address doesn't automatically mean a site is fraudulent, but it does mean you're not on a U.S. government .gov website. Verify who operates the site before sharing personal information.

1. Am I talking to Medicare or a private company?

Ask who they represent and whether they're a licensed insurance agent or broker. A private agent may be authorized to sell Medicare plans, but that doesn't make the agent a Medicare employee.

2. What exact plan am I being offered?

Get the full plan name and insurer. Check premiums, deductibles, copayments, prescription coverage, and whether your doctors and hospitals participate. Use official plan information to confirm the details.

3. Are the promised extras really included?

If an advertisement promises a grocery allowance, cash benefit, or free products, ask for the eligibility requirements and written plan details. Benefits vary, and an advertised perk may not be available to everyone.

4. Why do you need my personal information?

Don't provide your Medicare number, Social Security number, or bank details just to hear a sales pitch. Medicare's marketing rules say plans don't need your personal information to provide a quote. Verify who is asking and why before sharing sensitive information.

5. Why the rush?

Pressure to enroll immediately is a warning sign. Medicare's rules prohibit agents from pressuring people to join a plan or asking them to sign an enrollment form before they're ready. Take time to understand the coverage and costs.

Clicking an advertisement doesn't automatically mean your identity has been stolen. If you only visited a suspicious website, close it and don't download anything or enter personal information.

If you shared information, take these steps:

• Medicare number: Call 1-800-MEDICARE and explain what happened. Review your Medicare statements for unfamiliar services or equipment.
• Social Security number or financial details: Visit https://www.identitytheft.gov/ for guidance based on the information you disclosed.
• Enrolled because of misleading claims: Contact Medicare promptly at 1-800-MEDICARE to discuss your circumstances and available options.
• Report suspected fraud: Submit a report at https://ReportFraud.ftc.gov/. For suspected Medicare-related fraud, contact Medicare directly.

Keep the advertisement, website address, emails, text messages, and enrollment paperwork. Those details can help investigators understand what happened.

Consider the position of someone sitting at a kitchen table, trying to make a complicated health-insurance decision. A paid advertisement appears above the official government website. The design looks credible, the language sounds authoritative, and the distinction between an ad and an official result may be easy to miss.

Consumers have a responsibility to check where they click. But should the entire burden fall on the person searching, while the platform earns money from the advertisement?

That's a fair question for search companies and regulators.

The FTC's warnings document the impersonation problem, and its June alert describes a case involving MediaAlpha. They do not establish that every platform or Medicare-related advertisement is unlawful. Nor does every commercial insurance advertisement represent a scam.

Platforms face a genuine challenge: they host large numbers of advertisements, and legitimate agents need ways to reach people who want help comparing plans. Poorly designed restrictions could interfere with legitimate services.

But that doesn't remove the responsibility to address deceptive advertising. Better advertiser verification, faster action against impersonators, and clearer distinctions between paid promotions and official government services are reasonable areas for scrutiny.

Consumers shouldn't have to become experts in online advertising just to find the public service they intended to reach.

Never assume the first Medicare search result is the official one. Start at Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE. Verify the company, the exact plan, and the benefits before sharing sensitive information or enrolling.

The lesson isn't that every advertisement is a scam. It's that a paid placement is not an endorsement—and a convincing website is not proof of legitimacy.