Can Medicare Agents Knock on Your Door in 2027? What the Rules Actually Say

You may have heard that Medicare changed its marketing rules for 2027 and that agents can now show up at your door and sell you a plan.

That is not an accurate description of what changed.

CMS did make several changes for 2027 involving how beneficiaries interact with licensed agents. But Medicare did not open the door to unsolicited door-to-door sales of Medicare Advantage and Part D plans.

That distinction matters — especially during Annual Enrollment, when you’re already drowning in advertising.

Can an agent just knock on your door?

No — not to solicit you for Medicare Advantage or Part D business.

CMS rules prohibit unsolicited direct contact with beneficiaries for Medicare Advantage and Part D marketing. That includes door-to-door solicitation. It also includes other unsolicited direct contact: CMS has specifically identified approaching people in places like parking lots, hallways, lobbies and sidewalks as prohibited.

So if you heard a 2027 rule change created a loophole letting agents wander neighbourhoods selling plans on porches — that’s not what happened.

What if you asked them to come?

Completely different.

Beneficiaries have always been allowed to seek help. If you contact an agent and arrange an appointment at your home, the agent isn’t showing up unsolicited. You invited them.

The same applies if you contacted them because you saw their advertisement, were referred by a friend, attended an event, or found them online. The question is who initiated the interaction and what permission was given.

There’s a significant difference between:

“An insurance agent randomly knocked on my door and asked if I wanted to change my Medicare Advantage plan.”

and

“I called an agent and asked her to come to my house Tuesday afternoon to review my options.”

Those are not the same thing under Medicare’s rules.

So what did change for 2027?

Some of the confusion comes from CMS changing how quickly you can meet an agent after agreeing to a Scope of Appointment. From 2027, Medicare no longer requires the previous mandatory 48-hour waiting period in the same way — covered in detail in Medicare’s 48-hour rule is gone for 2027.

But removing that waiting period did not remove the restrictions on unsolicited marketing. Those are separate rules.

Being able to meet an agent sooner is not the same as giving agents permission to solicit you at your front door.

The Scope of Appointment still matters

The Scope of Appointment hasn’t disappeared either. Before a personal marketing appointment involving Medicare Advantage or Part D, you and the agent must agree on what products will be discussed. For an in-person appointment, the 2027 rules require it in writing.

So picture calling a local agent this morning and saying “I’d like someone to come to my house this afternoon and help me compare Medicare Advantage plans.” You complete the Scope of Appointment. The agent arrives when you asked.

That is very different from an agent appearing on your doorstep saying “Hi! I’m here to talk about changing your Medicare Advantage plan.”

The first was requested. The second wasn’t.

What about unsolicited phone calls?

If you get an unexpected call from someone wanting to sell you a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, and you never gave that person or organisation permission to contact you — be cautious.

CMS has long prohibited unsolicited outbound telemarketing for Medicare Advantage and Part D marketing, subject to the applicable rules and exceptions. Those restrictions didn’t vanish because other regulations changed.

An important distinction: Medigap is different

This is where the rules get genuinely confusing.

When people say “Medicare insurance,” they may mean several different products.

The Medicare Advantage and Part D rules on unsolicited contact and Scope of Appointment shouldn’t automatically be applied to every product someone might discuss with you. The Scope of Appointment requirement is associated with Medicare Advantage and Part D marketing; it isn’t a general federal requirement before discussing a Medigap policy.

Which is why a blanket claim like “Medicare agents can now knock on your door” is so confusing. Which product are we talking about? The answer changes the rules.

What if someone leaves information at your door?

CMS has historically treated leaving marketing materials at a residence as part of its prohibition on unsolicited door-to-door Medicare Advantage and Part D solicitation.

There are limited circumstances where an agent with an actual scheduled appointment may leave information — for example, when you scheduled an appointment but weren’t home when they arrived.

Context again. An agent leaving information because you scheduled with them is not the same as agents canvassing a neighbourhood and leaving sales materials on every door.

Why these rules exist

There’s a legitimate reason for restrictions on unsolicited sales.

People with Medicare receive an extraordinary volume of advertising. During enrollment season especially — calls, television, mailers, internet ads, and more. You should be able to decide when you want help and who provides it.

Consumer protection shouldn’t mean telling people they can’t talk to a licensed agent when they want help. It also shouldn’t mean agents can pursue people who never asked to be contacted.

There’s room for both principles:

• You should have easy access to help when you request it
• You should be protected from sales activity when you didn’t

A simple rule to remember

Forget the regulatory language. Here’s the question:

Did you ask for this conversation?

Found a local agent and called them? Good. Filled in a form asking an agency to contact you? That’s different from a random solicitation. Scheduled an appointment and invited someone to your home? Your choice.

But if someone unexpectedly knocks or calls wanting to discuss Medicare Advantage or Part D and you didn’t ask to be contacted — that’s a very different situation.

Don’t be afraid to say no.

What to look for in an agent

There are many excellent agents who serve the same clients and communities for years. There are also bad actors in virtually every industry. Rather than assuming anyone earning a commission can’t be trusted, ask better questions:

• Are they properly licensed?
• Are they certified to discuss Medicare Advantage and Part D plans?
• Do they represent multiple insurance companies, or only one?
• Can they discuss both Medicare Advantage and Medigap where appropriate?
• Will they actually check your doctors, hospitals and prescriptions?
• Will they explain why a plan may or may not fit?
• Will they tell you when your current coverage is already a good fit and there’s no reason to change?

Those questions tell you far more about the person helping you than whether they’re paid for their work.

Frequently asked questions

Can a Medicare agent knock on my door uninvited? No. Unsolicited door-to-door solicitation for Medicare Advantage and Part D is prohibited.

What if I invited them? That’s allowed and always has been. You initiated it.

Did the 2027 rules change this? No. What changed was the 48-hour waiting period, which is a separate rule from unsolicited contact.

Can they approach me in a parking lot or lobby? No. CMS specifically identifies places like parking lots, hallways, lobbies and sidewalks as prohibited unsolicited contact.

What about leaving a flyer at my door? Generally treated as part of the same prohibition, with limited exceptions such as an agent who had a scheduled appointment and found you not at home.

Does this apply to Medicare Supplement? Medigap is regulated differently, including significant state regulation, so the Medicare Advantage and Part D marketing rules don’t automatically apply to it.

Someone called me out of the blue. Is that allowed? Unsolicited outbound telemarketing for Medicare Advantage and Part D marketing is prohibited, subject to the applicable rules and exceptions. If you didn’t ask them to call, you can hang up.

The bottom line

Medicare did make marketing-rule changes for 2027. Those changes should not be read to mean agents can roam neighbourhoods knocking on doors.

CMS continues to regulate unsolicited direct contact involving Medicare Advantage and Part D. You can still choose to contact an agent, invite one into your home, and request an appointment — and under the 2027 rules you have more flexibility about when that requested conversation happens.

That’s very different from unsolicited door-to-door selling.

So: be sceptical of the person who contacts you when you never asked. Don’t be afraid of the licensed local agent you intentionally chose to call. Those are two different things.

Reach out for a free, no-obligation review or call 904-654-5450. Kate Spilsbury (RSSA®, CMIP®) is an independent, licensed agent based in Jacksonville, serving Northeast Florida and Camden County, GA.

Mere Benefits — Simply For Your Benefit.

This article is educational and not medical, tax, or legal advice. It describes federal rules as published at the time of writing; confirm current requirements with Medicare. Mere Benefits is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. We don’t offer every plan available in your area.