Fantastic Voyage Generic Graphics Updated Nov 2023

Phone solicitors are offering people an “Affordable Care Act card,” sometimes telling them they’re among the first. The caller will say something like, “You need an Affordable Care Act card. If you just give me your information, we will get your card out to you.” Typically, they ask for a Social Security number and bank account number, which is all they need to drain your savings.

Remember, there is no such thing as an Affordable Care Act card.

A twist on this scam is to tell seniors they need an Affordable Care Act card to replace their Medicare card, or a new Medicare card. Neither is true.

Even if the caller ID looks official, it may not be. Scammers are good at masking the caller ID or creating a caller ID that looks official, such as ”U.S. Government,” a practice known as spoofing.

Door-to-door ”representatives” should be ignored like the phone callers. The moment someone knocks on your door and says they are from the federal government, you know it’s a lie. Don’t engage them.’

Tell them you are going to contact authorities. You can file a complaint with the FTC by phone (877-382-4357) or online.

3. Fake Navigators and Other Helpers

When open enrollment begins, helpers known as navigators (as well as other types of enrollment helpers, insurance agents, and brokers) will stand ready to help guide consumers. In August, the Department of Health and Human Services awarded $67 million in grants to 105 navigator programs in the Marketplaces.

Navigators work through the organizations awarded the grants, and they range from United Way to universities, Planned Parenthood, and community health centers. They are trained and certified, and must renew their certification annually.

If a caller says he is from the local community center, he may sound legit but still be a crook. “We’ve heard about people posing as navigators and asking for personal information,” says Carrie McLean, who directs customer care for eHealthInsurance.

If you have any suspicion about whether a navigator is certified, McLean says, check with the state Marketplace or your state’s department of insurance.

Gray Areas

Besides the out-and-out scams, there are some ”gray areas” that also can be confusing.

Insurance agents or insurance companies may launch a web site aiming to make health care reform understandable and suggest it’s an official, state-run site. The operators may be licensed and legitimate, but it bears checking. And they should be clear, if you ask, that they are not the state Marketplace.

Consumers might expect the web site for their state Marketplace to have a “.gov” ending, but not all of them do. To figure out if a web site you’re on is your state’s Marketplace or another, go to healthcare.gov and enter your state’s name. Healthcare.gov is the federal government’s official web site with information about health care reform.

White House: “Beware Of Healthcare Scams”  was originally published on blackdoctor.org

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