There are many reasons to contact Medicare. Individuals on the basic Medicare program often have questions about Medicare Advantage and supplements. Individuals should expect to get answers when they call Medicare's 800-633-4227 phone number with a customer service issue. When I called the number, I wanted to ask about the Medicare Advantage program. With many companies selling plans, knowing where to seek the best benefits is challenging.

At the beginning of the call, I heard brief music. Then, an automated attendant answered, welcomed me to Medicare, asked why I called, and asked if I had a question about Part C coverage. My reply was, "I think so?" It then confirmed that I wanted to speak to an agent and told me it would transfer me. It said they may monitor the call for quality and training purposes. It asked if I would be willing to participate in a survey after the call. I agreed to take the survey by pressing a number corresponding to "Yes." The system then told me my estimated wait time was nine minutes. I knew I did not have time to stay on the line that long. However, I decided to give it a few minutes to see if someone might answer.

I heard various background tunes while I waited. Then the automated voice returned to tell me about getting shingles, RSV, COVID, and flu vaccines with Medicare Drug coverage. It directed me to senior centers or pharmacies for the vaccines. After that announcement, the music resumed playing.

The music stopped playing again. There was another message from the voice warning me not to give my contact information to people I don't know. It told me Medicare would never contact me for my Medicare number or other information unless they had my permission in advance. The system also warned me never to give my Medicare card, Social Security Number or any other information to anyone except those I know should not have it.

Since I was unprepared to remain on hold, I ended the call. I gave the system four minutes to connect me to a representative, but that did not happen on this call. I couldn't tie up my phone line waiting because I expected another call.

I understand large organizations do not have staff to answer every call. I'm unsure if referring a Medicare recipient to a website would help because the information can be overwhelming. I give the system credit for offering the vaccine access information and how to avoid problems by safeguarding personal data.

Since I did not get to speak to a representative, I think this system is one where scheduling a callback could be helpful to consumers. Had I talked to a representative and been able to complete the post-call survey, I would have recommended adding a callback option if the system had allowed me to offer that information.