Copyright The Philadelphia Inquirer
With fall open enrollment season for health insurance in full swing, Pennsylvania’s attorney general is warning people to beware of scams. The enrollment period for Pennie, Pennsylvania’s Obamacare marketplace, runs Nov. 1 through Jan. 16. New Jersey’s Obamacare marketplace, Get Covered NJ, will remain open until Jan. 31. Medicare’s annual fall enrollment ends Dec. 7. ”Scammers today try to attach their scams to trending events and happenings, making them more believable and increasing their chances of success,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said in a statement. “If you are using the marketplace to shop for a new health insurance plan this year, be sure you are practicing due diligence.” People who think they have been the victim of a scam should contact the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Health Care Section at 1-877-888-4877 or file a complaint online. Here are some more tips for avoiding insurance scams this fall: Beware of look-alike websites Independent private insurance agencies and websites that offer price quotes for plans, then connect users to outside agents, buy up search engine ads attached to keywords they know people will search during insurance open enrollment season. For instance, search “Pennie insurance” on Google, and the first three results are for private insurance agencies that use official-sounding phrases like “Pennsylvania Health Coverage,” “Results for Pennie Insurance,” and “Pennsylvania Healthcare.” » READ MORE: Pa. woman was convinced she bought Obamacare insurance. She got scammed by a look-alike website. These are licensed insurance agencies that sell insurance plans from many of the same insurers available through the Obamacare marketplaces. But the plans are often considered short-term, limited-liability or catastrophic plans – benefit packages that are not as comprehensive as the full medical insurance. They may have significant limits on how much care they will pay for, leaving patients with large, unexpected bills. Check the URL The best way to know you’re in the right place is to double check the website address, or URL. People in Pennsylvania will buy through Pennie.com. The website for New Jersey’s marketplace is nj.gov/getcoverednj. Check for a disclosure Private insurance agency websites and insurance quote websites are required to state that they are not affiliated with the government. This detail is often in small print at the bottom of the page. Don’t give out health details Under the Affordable Care Act, comprehensive health plans cannot base coverage on your health status. For instance, they can’t charge you a higher rate because you have heart disease or cancer. If you land on a website that requires you to answer questions about your health, such as whether you smoke or are pregnant, you’re on an insurance quote website where at least some of the plans are allowed to deny coverage or charge more for people with certain health conditions. Beware of cold calls Pennie, Get Covered NJ, and Medicare all have online and phone resources, but they will not call you unsolicited. Do not give out personal health or financial information over the phone, especially if you did not ask for help.
