How to Contact Medicare 

If you have questions about Medicare benefits, it’s good to know that resources are available to get answers. Although you can work with an independent Medicare insurance broker to find answers to common questions related to Medicare benefits, you can also reach out to Medicare directly for help.

Below, you’ll learn how to contact Medicare as well as some tips for getting the most accurate and up-to-date information about Medicare benefits. By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of your contact options and be prepared to get answers to common questions about your coverage options.

How to contact Medicare

Medicare is governed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This is the agency responsible for setting policy for Medicare recipients, but it is also the governing body that oversees which benefits are available for various health conditions, which types of durable medical equipment (DME) are covered by Medicare benefits and other administrative tasks.

How to contact Medicare by phone

One of the easiest ways to contact Medicare is by phone. You can dial 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to reach an automated system that will direct you further. Medicare recipients who utilize TTY can call 1-877-486-2048.

How to contact Medicare online

If you prefer to contact Medicare on the Internet, you can visit medicare.gov. This is the official site for Medicare insurance, and the site also provides access to your secure online Medicare account.

When you visit medicare.gov, you can log into your account to view information about benefits and seek answers to common questions. This website also provides the ability to compare health and drug plans and includes a search function to find healthcare providers in your area who accept Medicare.

How to contact Medicare by mail

Some Medicare recipients prefer to handle correspondence by mail. There can be a number of reasons for wanting to contact Medicare by mail, including to request documents and to have a paper trail of contact. If you want to send mail to Medicare, you can use the following address:

Medicare Contact Center Operations
PO Box 1270
Lawrence, KS 66044

Since traditional mail may require a few days to reach its destination, you should be prepared to wait for a response if you send a letter to Medicare. CMS is a relatively large agency, and your correspondence may need to be sent to a specific department upon arrival at CMS. This can add further days to the time it takes to receive a response.

How to avoid Medicare scams

You may have any number of reasons to contact Medicare, but what happens if someone contacts you claiming to be a representative of Medicare? The unfortunate truth is that scammers attempt to prey upon Medicare recipients by posing as representatives of CMS.

To avoid becoming a victim, you should refuse to provide any personal information to someone who calls you claiming to be from Medicare. Medicare will handle official contact through mail and will not call you.

It’s all the more reason to be suspicious if someone calls you and issues threats about your Medicare benefits. If this happens, you’re encouraged to hang up at once and call Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to report the incident.

How to contact Medicare in person

You can also handle some Medicare-related requests in person. To do this, you will need to visit your nearest Department of Social Services or Social Security Administration office. These offices can provide some services related to Medicare benefits, including processing Medicare applications or providing answers to questions about eligibility.

Various regional offices are also placed around the country for your convenience. You can visit any of 10 regional offices based on your location to handle a variety of tasks, and Medicare has a federal office in Baltimore, MD.