Carson City, NV -
November 21, 2018Open Enrollment is now underway, and consumers need to be
wary. Consumers shopping for qualified health plans should beware of
telemarketers and websites advertising discount medical plans and short-term
plans while falsely claiming they are compliant with the Affordable Care Act
(ACA).
These entities are reaching out to consumers via robo calls
and luring them through websites with misleading website names that appear
similar to legitimate websites. This can be confusing for anyone not
familiar with the legitimate webpages.
“Consumers should only take these calls as reminders to shop
for health insurance, but should never provide any information over the phone.
There have been consumers who have fallen for this scam and have been left with
thousands of dollars in unpaid medical bills because of gaps in coverage,” said
Insurance Commissioner Barbara Richardson. “Consumers who are purchasing health
insurance should visit Nevada Health Link’s website at https://www.nevadahealthlink.com,
or go directly to healthcare.gov.”
While regulatory agencies have already started taking
actions against these bait-and-switch schemes, Nevadans should protect
themselves by learning how to identify limited benefit plans. The Division has
posted information on the difference between ACA compliant plans, and other
plans such as short-term plans and Health Sharing Ministries on their health
insurance website at http://insurance101.nv.gov.
Consumers are encouraged to visit the website, which also lists all the
companies in Nevada licensed to sell short-term plans and tips on how to shop
for health insurance.
Consumers should also make sure that the individual, agency
or company they are talking to is licensed with the Division. To verify
a license, consumers can visit the Division’s website at http://di.nv.gov/ins/f?p=licensing:search.
About the Nevada Division of Insurance
The State of Nevada Division of Insurance, a Division of the
Nevada Department of Business and Industry, protects the rights of Nevada
consumers and regulates Nevada’s $14 billion insurance industry. The Division
of Insurance has offices in Carson City and Las Vegas. In 2017, the Division
investigated more than 3,200 consumer complaints and recovered over $5 million
on behalf of consumers. For more information about the Division of Insurance,
visit DOI.NV.GOV.
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