Officials warn of healthcare scams [The Sedalia Democrat, Sedalia, Mo.]

Sept. 28--Attorney General Chris Koster and the Missouri Hospital Association are teaming up to educate Missourians about possible scams surrounding the new federal Health Insurance Exchange plans that begin enrollment Tuesday.

As part of the Affordable Care Act, an insurance marketplace, commonly referred to as an exchange, will provide individuals with options for private health insurance coverage to comply with the law's minimum essential coverage requirement.

"As with any new system, scam artists may prey upon consumers who are attempting to comply with the law," Koster said. "My concern is that scammers will use the insurance coverage enrollment period opening on Tuesday as an opportunity to commit fraud."

Consumers seeking insurance coverage through the exchange will need to provide personal information in order to determine which plans are available to them and to sign up for health insurance coverage. Missouri Hospital Association President and CEO Herb Kuhn warns that scammers may attempt to con people into thinking that they are enrolling in a marketplace insurance plan when they are not.

"Scammers may trick consumers using phony websites, mailings, calls, or visits to the home," Kuhn said. "We want Missourians to be on the lookout for fraudsters asking consumers to provide personal information or to take steps that are not actually required."

Scammers could use personal information to commit financial identity theft, medical identity theft, or insurance identity theft. Financial identity theft is when a scam artist steals information to access accounts or to open a line of credit in a victim's name. Medical identity theft happens when the scam artist gets medical treatment by using a victim's information.

In an attempt to prevent Missourians from becoming a victim of these types of identity theft, Koster and the MHA offer the following tips:

--Beware of people asking for money to enroll those interested in the Marketplace "Exchange," or "Obamacare" insurance. Legitimate enrollment assisters will not ask for money. Especially be wary of anyone offering to sell Obamacare insurance cards.

--Check credentials. Ask anyone who wants to help with enrollment to verify their affiliation. In addition to a licensed insurance agent, there are two new types of licensed assistants who can also help you take the steps necessary to sign up: Certified Application Counselors and Insurance Navigators. To learn whether the person assisting you is legitimate, call 1-800-318-2596, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are also two Missouri websites that provide legitimate information only enrollmissouri.org operated by the Missouri Hospital Association and covermissouri.org operated by the Missouri Foundation for Health.

--Don't be swayed by high-pressure visits, mail solicitations, e-mails or phone calls from people pretending to work for the government. Always ask for identification if someone comes to the door.

--Only provide personal information if you initiate the contact. People who contact you seeking personal information may be trying to steal your identity. No one from the government will call or email you to sell you an insurance plan or ask for personal information. Be careful when giving out personal information, such as credit card, banking or Social Security numbers.

--Communicate directly with the Official Exchange. Unless you are using a licensed insurance agent or assistant, the only way to ensure that your personal data is not going to a scammer is to sign up using the official website at

HealthCare.gov or by calling 1-800-318-2596. Avoid sham websites and look for official government seals, logos or website addresses. Look for internet sites with a .gov on the end of the website address.

--Watch for "fake" products. Some scammers will try to sell you a prescription card which can be phony. Some appear to be real but are only discount cards and not really insurance.

Suspected fraud should be reported to the Federal Trade Commission through the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 or at FTC.gov/complaint. All suspected fraud should also be reported to the Attorney General's Office at ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222.

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