Official Numbers · Always Free

How to contact Medicare — the real numbers

Let's be direct about something first: we are a private insurance agency, not the government, and this page exists because the search results for "Medicare phone number" are a minefield of look-alikes. Below are the official channels, which problem each one actually handles, and the tells that separate Medicare from the people pretending to be Medicare.

Required disclosures: Smooth Health Solutions is not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 0–78 organizations which offer 0–2,613 products in your area. The exact number of organizations and products depends on your ZIP code, county, and plan year. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1‑800‑MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. This page is educational, not a recommendation of any specific plan.

Which number for which problem

You need…CallDetails
Coverage & claims questions, plan comparisons, replacement card1‑800‑MEDICARE
(1‑800‑633‑4227)
24/7 · TTY 1‑877‑486‑2048
Enrolling, Part B sign-up, premium billing, card & address changesSocial Security
1‑800‑772‑1213
Weekdays · TTY 1‑800‑325‑0778 · or ssa.gov
Your own claims, cards, and plan details onlineYour account at medicare.gov — printing a replacement card there takes about two minutes
Free unbiased one-on-one counselingSHIPEvery state · shiphelp.org · they sell nothing
Questions about a specific Advantage or Part D plan you're inThe member-services number on the back of that plan's card — the plan, not Medicare, runs its own network and billing

The split that confuses everyone: Social Security handles getting in (enrollment, premiums, cards); 1‑800‑MEDICARE handles what coverage does once you're in.

The callers who are not Medicare

If your phone rings and someone opens with your first name and "I'm calling from Medicare" — six calls before lunch, every one urgent — here is the whole test: Medicare does not cold-call to sell plans, "verify" your Medicare number, or offer new cards. Real contact from Medicare or Social Security is almost always a letter, or a return of a call you placed. New cards are mailed automatically and replacements are always free.

Hang up without guilt, and if a card or bank number already slipped out, call 1‑800‑MEDICARE to flag it. Report the call at 1‑800‑MEDICARE or ftc.gov/complaint.

And where does an agent honestly fit?

The numbers above answer questions about the coverage you have. What they won't do is sit with your doctor list, prescriptions, and budget and work through which shape of coverage fits you — that's what a licensed agent is for, at no cost, on your schedule. Different tool, different job: SHIP if you want counseling with nothing for sale; an agent if you want someone to do the comparison legwork with you and handle the enrollment.

Rather talk it through with a person who does this daily?

One licensed agent, one calm conversation — your details stay with the person you actually spoke to. No call center, no script, no passing your number down the line.

No cost. No obligation to enroll. We do not offer every plan available in your area.

Keep reading

The problems these numbers usually get called about:

Important: Smooth Health Solutions is not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 0–78 organizations which offer 0–2,613 products in your area. The exact number of organizations and products depends on your ZIP code, county, and plan year. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1‑800‑MEDICARE (1‑800‑633‑4227; TTY 1‑877‑486‑2048), or your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. This page is for general education, reflects 2026 amounts published by CMS, and is not a complete description of benefits or a recommendation of any specific plan. Enrollment cannot be guaranteed until an application is accepted by the applicable insurance company or program.